Last Sunday, the Open Doors 2023 Report was officially released.
This official publication, produced by the U.S. Department of State in partnership with the Institute of International Education (IIE), surveyed international students at over 3,000 U.S. higher education institutions, providing authoritative analysis and insights into the current state and future trends of international students in the United States.
👇TL;DR👇
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U.S. study abroad enthusiasm surged in 2022-2023, with total international student numbers again surpassing one million
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International undergraduate enrollment in the U.S. saw its first positive growth in four years
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The number of Chinese graduate students in the U.S. continued to rise
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Top 3 most popular majors: Mathematics & Computer Science, Engineering, and Business & Management
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NYU ranked as the most popular host university for international students for the 10th consecutive year
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Among the top 10 most popular U.S. universities for international students, 5 require applicants to submit GRE scores
International Student Numbers Hit Record High of 1.05 Million
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of international students in the U.S. reached 1,057,188, an 11.5% year-on-year increase, the highest growth rate in nearly 40 years! The international student share also hit a new 10-year high of 5.6%!
(Source: Open Doors data – Total number of international students studying in the U.S.)
As the pandemic ended, the number of new international students enrolling in the U.S. kept soaring, growing another 14% on top of the previous year's 80% increase to reach 298,523, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
(Source: Open Doors data – Trend in total international student enrollment in the U.S.)
Undergraduate Numbers up for First Time, Graduate Enrollment Surges
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the total number of international undergraduate students in the U.S. saw its first positive growth in four years, increasing by 0.9% from the previous year.
Graduate numbers experienced the largest increase, up to 21%, indicating that demand for graduate study in the U.S. remains very high.
(Source: Open Doors data – Distribution of international students by academic level)
In the 2022-2023 academic year, new international undergraduate students numbered 95,681, a 5.6% increase over the previous year. New international graduate students reached 168,920, a 15.3% increase from last year.
(Source: Open Doors data – Number of new international students in the U.S.)
Chinese Graduate Student Enrollment in the U.S. Continues to Rise
China remains the top source of international students for U.S. institutions, accounting for 27%.
(Source: Open Doors data – Top source countries for international students in the U.S.)
In the 2022-2023 academic year, the number of Chinese undergraduate students in the U.S. dropped 8.4%, but Chinese graduate student enrollment rose 2.3%, showing that graduate study in the U.S. remains a popular choice for Chinese students.
(Source: Open Doors data – Top source countries for international students in the U.S.)
STEM Remains the Top Choice for International Students
In the 2022-2023 academic year, STEM fields continued to be the first choice for most international students. Mathematics & Computer Science remained firmly in first place, followed by Engineering, with Business & Management in third. These three dominant fields far outpaced other majors in enrollment. Compared to last year, enrollment in these three fields grew by 19.9%, 7.8%, and 6.8%, respectively.
(Source: Open Doors data – Most popular majors for international students in the U.S.)
This trend held true for Chinese students in the U.S. in the 2022-2023 academic year as well. Mathematics & Computer Science attracted 23.2% of Chinese students, Engineering 16.8%, and Business & Management 13.4%. The proportion of Chinese students studying Mathematics & Computer Science has increased for 12 consecutive years.
(Source: Open Doors data – Proportion of popular majors among Chinese students)
Top 10 Most Popular U.S. Universities for International Students
In the 2022-2023 academic year, NYU ranked as the most popular university for international students for the tenth consecutive year, followed by Northeastern University and Columbia University. The remaining institutions were Arizona State University, University of Southern California, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Boston University, Purdue University West Lafayette, University of California Berkeley, and University of California San Diego.
(Source: Open Doors data – Top 10 most popular U.S. universities for international students)
Among these 10 most popular universities, 5 require graduate program applicants to submit GRE scores. To attend these sought-after universities and programs, a good GRE score is essential.
New York University, Columbia University, University of Southern California, and others all have clear GRE score requirements. This demonstrates that a strong GRE score is indispensable for gaining admission to these top institutions and programs.
Source: NYU official website
It is foreseeable that the number of people pursuing graduate studies in the U.S. will continue to rise in the coming years. The GRE exam, as an essential language proficiency credential required in study abroad application materials, can boost an applicant's competitive edge, especially for certain popular universities and programs.
We have already compiled the GRE requirements for more popular universities for you. Students planning to pursue graduate degrees abroad should start preparing for the GRE early to plan and prepare for their graduate school applications in advance.
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