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News

International Students in the United States by Place of Origin, 2015-16 and 2016-17

Almanac 2018 August 19, 2018

The places that dominated in sending students to the United States for postsecondary study are shown below for each region. While countries like China and India in Asia sent by far the most students, countries that stood out in other regions were Nigeria in Africa, Mexico and Brazil in Latin America, and Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East. The number of international students who came from Ethiopia and Nepal increased by more than 20 percent from 2015-16 to 2016-17.

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The places that dominated in sending students to the United States for postsecondary study are shown below for each region. While countries like China and India in Asia sent by far the most students, countries that stood out in other regions were Nigeria in Africa, Mexico and Brazil in Latin America, and Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Middle East. The number of international students who came from Ethiopia and Nepal increased by more than 20 percent from 2015-16 to 2016-17.


Return to the Almanac home page, or go to the Profession, Students, Finance, or States section. To purchase a copy of the Almanac in print or as a downloadable interactive PDF, visit the Chronicle Store. Help guide us to give you the data you need by taking our 10-minute online Almanac survey.


2016-172015-16One-year
change
2016-17
percentage of
world total
AFRICA, SUB-SAHARAN 37,735 35,364 6.7% 3.5%
East Africa 8,480 7,690 10.3% 0.8%
Kenya 3,189 3,019 5.6% 0.3%
Ethiopia 1,847 1,517 21.8% 0.2%
Rwanda 1,088 928 17.2% 0.1%
Central Africa 3,545 3,311 7.1% 0.3%
Cameroon 1,334 1,210 10.2% 0.1%
Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,137 949 19.8% 0.1%
Gabon 363 410 -11.5% 0.0%
Southern Africa 6,473 6,263 3.4% 0.6%
South Africa 1,911 1,813 5.4% 0.2%
Zimbabwe 1,330 1,295 2.7% 0.1%
Angola 1,257 1,296 -3.0% 0.1%
West Africa 19,237 18,100 6.3% 1.8%
Nigeria 11,710 10,674 9.7% 1.1%
Ghana 3,111 3,049 2.0% 0.3%
Côte d’Ivoire/Ivory Coast 1,353 1,229 10.1% 0.1%
ASIA 734,309 689,525 6.5% 68.1%
East Asia 459,284 439,702 4.5% 42.6%
China 350,755 328,547 6.8% 32.5%
South Korea 58,663 61,007 -3.8% 5.4%
Taiwan 21,516 21,127 1.8% 2.0%
South and Central Asia 218,937 195,135 12.2% 20.3%
India 186,267 165,918 12.3% 17.3%
Nepal 11,607 9,662 20.1% 1.1%
Bangladesh 7,143 6,513 9.7% 0.7%
Southeast Asia 56,088 54,688 2.6% 5.2%
Vietnam 22,438 21,403 4.8% 2.1%
Indonesia 8,776 8,727 0.6% 0.8%
Malaysia 8,247 7,834 5.3% 0.8%
EUROPE 92,820 91,915 1.0% 8.6%
Britain 11,489 11,599 -0.9% 1.1%
Turkey 10,586 10,691 -1.0% 1.0%
Germany 10,169 10,145 0.2% 0.9%
LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN 79,655 84,908 -6.2% 7.4%
Caribbean 11,351 11,042 2.8% 1.1%
Jamaica 2,797 2,510 11.4% 0.3%
Bahamas 2,252 2,027 11.1% 0.2%
Dominican Republic 1,428 1,513 -5.6% 0.1%
Mexico and Central America 25,158 24,983 0.7% 2.3%
Mexico 16,835 16,733 0.6% 1.6%
Honduras 2,046 1,985 3.1% 0.2%
Panama 1,588 1,537 3.3% 0.1%
South America 43,146 48,883 -11.7% 4.0%
Brazil 13,089 19,370 -32.4% 1.2%
Venezuela 8,540 8,267 3.3% 0.8%
Colombia 7,982 7,815 2.1% 0.7%
MIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA 100,014 108,227 -7.6% 9.3%
Middle East 92,470 100,926 -8.4% 8.6%
Saudi Arabia 52,611 61,287 -14.2% 4.9%
Iran 12,643 12,269 3.0% 1.2%
Kuwait 9,825 9,772 0.5% 0.9%
North Africa 7,544 7,301 3.3% 0.7%
Egypt 3,715 3,442 7.9% 0.3%
Morocco 1,634 1,495 9.3% 0.2%
Libya 1,311 1,514 -13.4% 0.1%
NORTH AMERICA 27,065 26,973 0.3% 2.5%
Canada 27,065 26,973 0.3% 2.5%
OCEANIA 7,222 6,917 4.4% 0.7%
Australia 4,933 4,752 3.8% 0.5%
New Zealand 1,741 1,608 8.3% 0.2%
Tonga 133 130 2.3% 0.0%
STATELESS 2 10 -80.0% 0.0%
WORLD TOTAL 1,078,822 1,043,839 3.4% 100.0%

Note: International-student census data are based on a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The data represent international enrollment at 2,105 accredited U.S. institutions. The three countries that sent the most students to the United States in 2016-17 are shown for each region. Percentage distribution may not add to 100 because of rounding. Questions or comments on the Almanac should be sent to the Almanac editor.

Source: Institute of International Education. “Leading Places of Origin, 2016/17.” Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

A version of this article appeared in the August 24, 2018, issue.
Read other items in Students: Almanac 2018.
We welcome your thoughts and questions about this article. Please email the editors or submit a letter for publication.
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