International Enrollment Bounces Back, But Not to Pre-Pandemic Levels

After a steep pandemic decline, the number of international students studying in the U.S. began to rebound in 2021-22, according to the Open Doors 2022 report released Monday. The total number of international students increased 4% to almost 950,000, and the number of new international students soared 80% to nearly pre-pandemic levels. Despite the increases, the number of international students studying in the U.S. is still 13% lower than the pre-pandemic high of almost 1.1 million, achieved in 2018-19. 

Dr. Stephanie K. Kim, associate professor of the practice and faculty director of higher education administration at Georgetown University“It’s a hopeful report,” said Dr. Stephanie K. Kim, an associate professor of the practice and faculty director of higher education administration at Georgetown University. “This certainly shows that we could be returning close to what we had previously seen.” 

The report, a collaboration between the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), includes data from nearly 3,000 institutions. Its data include international students who studied online at U.S. universities from out of the country, although 90% of international students studied in person.  

The increase in international students also had an economic impact, according to an analysis released on Monday by NAFSA: Association of International Educators. NAFSA found that international students contributed $5.5 billion to the U.S. economy in 2021-22, up 19%, and supported more than 335,000 jobs. However, these totals still fall short of pre-pandemic highs from 2018-19 by nearly $7 billion and over 100,000 jobs.  

“It’s good to see increases, but we still have a ways to go,” said Rachel Banks, senior director of public policy & legislative strategy at NAFSA. 

The report also found that the composition of the international student body has changed. Although China and India continued to account for the majority of international students (52%), the two countries appear headed in opposite directions. The total of Indian students bounced back to pre-pandemic levels (nearly 200,000), but the number from China fell by almost 10%, to roughly 290,000. 

“I think it's related to a lot of the anti-Asian and specifically anti-Chinese rhetoric we've seen come out of the U.S. in the last few years,” said Kim. “It started during the Trump administration [and] really ramped up during the pandemic.”