International Student Enrollment: What the Data Show

The Proportion of International Students in the U.S. Has More Than Tripled in 50 Years
More than a million international students enrolled in American colleges in 2016-17, but experts note that the growth is slowing down. This table shows international students enrollment as a share of total U.S. enrollment.

The data-collection process was changed in 1974-75. Refugees were counted from 1975-76 to 1990-91. Figures for students on optional-practical-training status (OPT) were first reported separately for the 1979-80 academic year.

Enrollment of New International Students Drops for First Time in a Decade
The number of international students in the United States continues to increase, but enrollment of new students has fallen.

China and India Still Send the Most Students to U.S. Colleges
Enrollments from Saudi Arabia and Brazil plummeted in 2016-17 from the previous year because those countries, facing economic pressures, cut back on scholarships to study abroad.