All four regions of the US saw an uptick in international student records from 2021 to 2022, with respective increases ranging from 8-11 percent. California remained the most popular destination for foreign students, hosting more than any other state.
The Student and Exchange Visitor Program recently released the latest version of its SEVIS by the Numbers report, which provides updated statistics on international students in the United States. The report reveals that there were 1,362,157 active F-1 and M-1 student records in 2021–22—10.1 percent more than the previous year and the most since 2019.
All four regions of the US saw an uptick in international student records from 2021 to 2022, with respective increases ranging from 8-11 percent. California remained the most popular destination for foreign students, hosting more than any other state.
In 2022, fewer students from China attended US colleges and universities compared to the previous year, while India saw an increase. Asia was still the most popular continent of origin for international students, with China and India leading the way.
Enrollment of international students in K-12 schools rose 7.8 percent in 2022, a growth of 3,887 students over 2021.
There were 117,301 optional practical training students who held an employment authorization document and reported working for an employer in 2022—a 1.4 percent increase from the 115,651 in 2021.
Exchange visitor numbers in the US rose 15 percent in 2022, reaching 276,723— up from 240,479 a year prior.
The number of F-1 and M-1 international student records increased by 10.1 percent from 2021 to 2022. China sent the most K-12 students in 2022 (25.3 percent), followed by South Korea (8.2 percent), Mexico (7.6 percent), Spain (six percent) and Vietnam (5.5 percent). Over 20 percent of all K-12 students came from Spanish-speaking countries. In total, 53,517 international students studied K-12 in the US in 2022.
Roughly 90 percent of F-1 and M-1 students came to the US in 2022 for higher education, with 1,226,231 pursuing degrees. This marks an 83,879 increase from 2021. Though one student may be counted at multiple levels of education in a given year.
In 2022, 71,445 F-1 students pursued associate degrees, accounting for 6 percent of higher education degrees sought by international students. Between 2021 and 2022, enrollment in associate degree programs increased by three percent.
According to the study, 78 percent of international students sought bachelor’s or master’s degrees in 2022. Bachelor’s degree seekers rose by 1.6 percent (6,968), while those pursuing master’s degrees increased 15.7 percent (68,805) over 2021 figures. Of the total 957,603 foreign students enrolled in higher education that year, 450,408 pursued bachelor’s degrees, and 507,195 sought master’s degrees.
The number of international students seeking a doctoral degree rose 3.2 percent, to 197,183 in 2022, accounting for 16.1 percent of higher education degrees sought by foreign students—an increase from 15.4 percent the previous year. The total reflects an increase of 6,156 students over 2021.
Computer science (91,083) was the most popular major among international students in calendar year 2022, followed by second language learning (89,266), business administration and management (81,797), computer and information sciences (63,955), and electrical and electronics engineering (37,809).
