In the 2024/25 academic year, 1,177,766 international students studied in colleges and universities in the USA. This is a record figure, making up about 6% of the total number of students in American higher education institutions. Over the year, the number of international students grew by approximately 5%, writes Thinktanks.pro.
According to a study by the Institute of International Education, 411 students from Belarus studied in American universities. Compared to the previous academic year, their number increased by 5.7%.
By this metric, Belarus surpasses Lithuania, from where 343 students studied in American universities, and Latvia — 271. However, there are significantly fewer Belarusians than students from Ukraine — 2346, Poland — 1809, and Russia — 4948.
India provides the largest number of international students in the USA — 363,019 people, or 30.8% of all international students. Over the year, their number increased by 9.5%. In second place is China — 265,919 students, or 22.6%, but the number of Chinese students decreased by 4.1% over the year. Next are South Korea — 42,293 students, Canada — 29,903, and Vietnam — 25,584.
The general statistics for international students include not only people directly studying in universities and colleges. It also includes graduates who, after completing their studies, temporarily work in the USA as part of the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. In Open Doors statistics, they are still considered international students, as OPT is part of the educational program for foreigners.
In the 2024/25 academic year, the number of OPT participants increased by 21% and reached 294,253 people. Simultaneously, the number of new international students who enrolled in American universities for the first time decreased by 7% — to 277,118 people.
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