Enrollment of international students in US higher education institutions experienced a massive decline in the 2020–21 academic year, according to the Open Doors 2021 Report on International Educational Exchange, which is released annually in November by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE). In the 2020–21 academic year, 914,095 international students pursued studies at US colleges and universities, a decrease of 15 percent from the previous academic year. These students represented 5 percent of all students in US higher education and, according to the US Department of Commerce, contributed $39 billion to the US economy in 2020.
The United States has remained open to international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 710,000 international students enrolled at the undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree levels from more than 200 places of origin.
The COVID-19 pandemic primarily impacted international students studying at a US university for the first time, defined as new international students. This segment declined by 46 percent, which is aligned with anticipated declines that were reported last November in IIE’s Fall 2020 International Student Enrollment Snapshot.Approximately 145,528 international students were able to begin their studies in person or online, either in the US or from abroad, despite challenges due to travel and enrollment.
International students who were already studying in the United States in 2020 (prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic) were largely able to continue their US postsecondary education experience. The total number of continuing students at US universities decreased by only 3 percent.
The vast majority of international students continue to come from China and India, but even those numbers were lower than previous years. There were 14.8 percent fewer Chinese students enrolled and 13.2 percent fewer Indian students enrolled this academic year compared to last year.
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred enrollment declines by international students across all geographic regions. However, Canada, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa had smaller declines, which according to an IIE statement, could be attributed to the possible ease of access to the United States during the pandemic and the ability to begin or continue programs virtually within a similar time zone as many US institutions.
“US colleges and universities remained open and welcoming in the face of COVID-19 challenges and are well-prepared for what’s ahead,” said IIE Chief Executive Officer Allan E. Goodman. “The Open Doors 2021 report gives us all a benchmark to gauge the progress we are making to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The enrollment of new international students in US higher education institutions seemed to have recovered from the steepest drops seen in the prior academic year. Colleges and universities in the United States reported a 68 percent increase in the number of new international students enrolling for the first time at a US institution, a notable surge from the 46 percent decline reported in fall 2020. Additionally, 99 percent of responding US institutions reported that they are holding classes in person or implementing a hybrid education model, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to return students to campus or offer options to study online. More than 860 US higher education institutions participated in the 2021 Fall International Student Enrollment Snapshot, an increase from the 710 institutions that participated in the previous year.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, international students are still finding the United States an attractive destination to pursue higher education. The ability of US institutions to pivot to offer hybrid and virtual options may have retained some international students enabling them to continue their education.