Recently, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its 2021 annual report on the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
The annual SEVP report not only provides data on international students, exchange visitors, and their dependents coming to the U.S., but is also an important reference for analyzing new study abroad trends.
2021 U.S. Study Abroad Data Overview
Impact of the Pandemic
• Due to the pandemic, the total number of international students in 2021 was 1,236,748, a 1.2% decrease compared to 2020.
• In 2020, all four major U.S. regions (East, West, Midwest, South) saw declines in international student numbers, but in 2021, only the West experienced a significant drop (7.5%), while other regions began to recover.
The decline in applicants to the West is closely tied to the ongoing turbulence within the University of California system.
From last year's announcement of permanently eliminating SAT/ACT requirements to the recent enrollment freeze bill controversy, these disruptions have not only made international student applications increasingly difficult but also discouraged many who once considered UC their dream schools.
Furthermore, with major tech companies "moving east" in recent years and establishing new headquarters on the East Coast, the number of international students in the East has been catching up rapidly. New York and other locations are gradually replacing California and are poised to become the newest hotspots for studying abroad.
Other Trends
• In 2021, 105,970 international students obtained OPT, a 13.6% drop from 122,699 in 2020.
• In 2021, China and India remained the two largest source countries for international students. However, the number of Chinese students decreased by 33,569, while Indian students increased by 25,391.
• In 2021, 1,142,352 international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, a 1.8% increase from 1,121,981 the previous year.
• Among all international students pursuing higher education, the degree breakdown was as follows: 6% associate degrees, 39% bachelor's degrees, 38% master's degrees, and 17% doctoral degrees.
2021 Most Popular Majors in the U.S.
Overview of Popular Majors
The report also tallied the 20 most popular majors among international students in higher education for 2021.
Of all international students coming to the U.S., 49% (603,028) enrolled in the following majors:
Comparing with popular majors from previous ICE reports, it's clear that the popularity of STEM majors has soared once again, eclipsing traditional humanities and social sciences.
OPT/CPT Data
In 2021, a total of 225,324 students obtained OPT opportunities, of which 52% (117,874) received STEM OPT; 102,589 students obtained CPT opportunities.
Compared to previous OPT records, STEM OPT has grown from a handful to accounting for half of all OPT authorizations.
2021 Popular U.S. Study Destinations
Among all U.S. regions, although the number of international students choosing California declined in 2021, it still ranked first (16.8%) in the overall U.S.
It was followed by New York (11.5%), Massachusetts (7.2%), Texas (7.1%), and Florida (5.8%).
The ranking of these popular cities is not surprising. The ICE report indicates that 13.6% of all SEVP-certified schools in the U.S. are located in California, with the remaining regions having the most certified schools being New York, Florida, Texas, and Pennsylvania, closely matching the ranking of popular study destinations.
2021 Most International Student-Friendly U.S. Universities
Among all U.S. universities, Northeastern University, New York University, Columbia University, University of Southern California, and University of Illinois were the top five institutions enrolling the most international students.
Compared with the top schools in 2020, although enrollment numbers declined in 2021, the welcoming attitude of these popular universities toward international students appears unchanged.
Final Thoughts
In recent years, the overall number of international students has declined due to the pandemic, but in the post-pandemic era, we are witnessing a "revenge" study-abroad boom.
As a top study destination, competition for popular majors at prestigious U.S. universities remains fierce. Students planning to study in the U.S. should start preparing as early as possible.
Here, we have also prepared the latest 2023 Fall U.S. graduate application timeline for your reference.
