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Digest of Education Statistics
2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 310.20. Foreign students enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States, by continent, region, and selected countries of origin: Selected academic years, 1980-81 through 2021-22
Continent, region, and selected countries of origin 1980-81 1985-86 1990-91 1995-96 2000-01 2005-06 2010-11 2015-16 2020-21 2021-22
Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
Total 311,880   100.0 343,780   100.0 407,272   100.0 453,787 100.0 547,873 100.0 564,766 100.0 723,249 100.0 1,043,839 100.0 914,095 100.0 948,519 100.0

Sub-Saharan Africa1
30,870   9.9 28,210   8.2 19,262   4.7 17,422 3.8 29,033 5.3 32,538 5.8 31,470 4.4 35,364 3.4 39,061 4.3 42,518 4.5
East Africa 6,260   2.0 6,730   2.0 7,592   1.9 7,596 1.7 13,516 2.5 13,635 2.4 8,863 1.2 7,690 0.7 9,319 1.0 10,157 1.1
Central Africa 1,130   0.4 1,540   0.4 1,647   0.4 1,346 0.3 1,859 0.3 2,825 0.5 2,831 0.4 3,311 0.3 2,899 0.3 2,871 0.3
Southern Africa 1,480   0.5 2,360   0.7 2,835   0.7 2,657 0.6 3,304 0.6 2,232 0.4 5,330 0.7 6,263 0.6 6,035 0.7 6,516 0.7
West Africa 22,000   7.1 17,580   5.1 7,178   1.8 5,818 1.3 10,346 1.9 13,846 2.5 14,446 2.0 18,100 1.7 20,808 2.3 22,974 2.4
Nigeria 17,350   5.6 13,710   4.0 3,714   0.9 2,093 0.5 3,820 0.7 6,192 1.1 7,148 1.0 10,674 1.0 12,860 1.4 14,438 1.5

Asia
94,640   30.3 156,830   45.6 229,825   56.4 259,893 57.3 302,058 55.1 327,785 58.0 461,790 63.8 689,525 66.1 645,622 70.6 658,669 69.4
East Asia 51,650   16.6 80,720   23.5 146,017   35.9 166,717 36.7 189,371 34.6 197,576 35.0 286,925 39.7 439,702 42.1 395,808 43.3 372,378 39.3
China 2,770   0.9 13,980   4.1 39,597   9.7 39,613 8.7 59,939 10.9 62,582 11.1 157,558 21.8 328,547 31.5 317,299 34.7 290,086 30.6
Hong Kong 9,660   3.1 10,710   3.1 12,625   3.1 12,018 2.6 7,627 1.4 7,849 1.4 8,136 1.1 7,923 0.8 5,878 0.6 5,848 0.6
Japan 13,500   4.3 13,360   3.9 36,611   9.0 45,531 10.0 46,497 8.5 38,712 6.9 21,290 2.9 19,060 1.8 11,785 1.3 13,449 1.4
South Korea 6,150   2.0 18,660   5.4 23,362   5.7 36,231 8.0 45,685 8.3 59,022 10.5 73,351 10.1 61,007 5.8 39,491 4.3 40,755 4.3
Taiwan 19,460   6.2 23,770   6.9 33,531   8.2 32,702 7.2 28,566 5.2 27,876 4.9 24,818 3.4 21,127 2.0 19,673 2.2 20,487 2.2
South and Central Asia 14,540   4.7 25,800   7.5 42,366   10.4 45,401 10.0 71,765 13.1 94,965 16.8 128,845 17.8 195,135 18.7 201,260 22.0 237,500 25.0
Bangladesh 1,180   0.4 1,930   0.6 2,533   0.6 3,360 0.7 4,114 0.8 2,581 0.5 2,873 0.4 6,513 0.6 8,598 0.9 10,597 1.1
India 9,250   3.0 16,070   4.7 28,857   7.1 31,743 7.0 54,664 10.0 76,503 13.5 103,895 14.4 165,918 15.9 167,582 18.3 199,182 21.0
Nepal 250   0.1 390   0.1 670   0.2 1,219 0.3 2,618 0.5 6,061 1.1 10,301 1.4 9,662 0.9 11,172 1.2 11,799 1.2
Pakistan 2,990   1.0 5,440   1.6 7,725   1.9 6,427 1.4 6,948 1.3 5,759 1.0 5,045 0.7 6,141 0.6 7,475 0.8 8,772 0.9
Southeast Asia 28,450   9.1 50,310   14.6 41,441   10.2 47,774 10.5 40,916 7.5 35,244 6.2 46,020 6.4 54,688 5.2 48,554 5.3 48,791 5.1
Indonesia 3,250   1.0 8,210   2.4 9,524   2.3 12,820 2.8 11,625 2.1 7,575 1.3 6,942 1.0 8,727 0.8 7,489 0.8 8,003 0.8
Malaysia 6,010   1.9 23,020   6.7 13,606   3.3 14,015 3.1 7,795 1.4 5,515 1.0 6,735 0.9 7,834 0.8 5,280 0.6 4,933 0.5
Singapore 1,320   0.4 3,930   1.1 4,495   1.1 4,098 0.9 4,166 0.8 3,909 0.7 4,316 0.6 4,865 0.5 3,558 0.4 3,901 0.4
Thailand 6,550   2.1 6,940   2.0 7,092   1.7 12,165 2.7 11,187 2.0 8,765 1.6 8,236 1.1 7,113 0.7 4,960 0.5 5,007 0.5
Vietnam 6,490   2.1 3,270   1.0 1,396   0.3 922 0.2 2,022 0.4 4,597 0.8 14,888 2.1 21,403 2.1 21,631 2.4 20,713 2.2

Europe2
28,650   9.2 38,910   11.3 55,422   13.6 76,855 16.9 93,784 17.1 84,697 15.0 84,296 11.7 91,915 8.8 67,979 7.4 83,240 8.8
France 2,570   0.8 3,680   1.1 5,633   1.4 5,710 1.3 7,273 1.3 6,640 1.2 8,098 1.1 8,764 0.8 5,643 0.6 7,751 0.8
Germany 3,310 3 1.1 4,730 3 1.4 7,003   1.7 9,017 2.0 10,128 1.8 8,829 1.6 9,458 1.3 10,145 1.0 5,364 0.6 8,550 0.9
Italy 1,250   0.4 1,890   0.5 2,393   0.6 2,780 0.6 3,490 0.6 3,224 0.6 4,308 0.6 5,155 0.5 4,894 0.5 5,695 0.6
Russia 630 4 0.2 83 4 # 1,206 4 0.3 5,589 1.2 6,858 1.3 4,801 0.9 4,692 0.6 5,444 0.5 4,805 0.5 4,802 0.5
Spain 950   0.3 1,740   0.5 4,304   1.1 4,809 1.1 4,156 0.8 3,455 0.6 4,330 0.6 6,640 0.6 5,781 0.6 8,165 0.9
Sweden 1,020   0.3 1,400   0.4 2,029   0.5 3,889 0.9 4,598 0.8 3,212 0.6 3,236 0.4 4,297 0.4 2,045 0.2 2,352 0.2
Turkey2 2,600   0.8 2,460   0.7 4,078   1.0 7,678 1.7 10,983 2.0 11,622 2.1 12,184 1.7 10,691 1.0 8,109 0.9 8,467 0.9
United Kingdom 4,440   1.4 5,940   1.7 7,298   1.8 7,799 1.7 8,139 1.5 8,274 1.5 8,947 1.2 11,599 1.1 8,028 0.9 10,292 1.1

Latin America
49,810   16.0 45,480   13.2 47,318   11.6 47,253 10.4 63,634 11.6 64,769 11.5 64,169 8.9 84,908 8.1 72,850 8.0 77,969 8.2
Caribbean 10,650   3.4 11,100   3.2 12,349   3.0 10,737 2.4 14,423 2.6 13,855 2.5 11,644 1.6 11,042 1.1 11,175 1.2 10,789 1.1
Central America 12,970   4.2 12,740   3.7 15,949   3.9 14,220 3.1 16,764 3.1 19,709 3.5 20,361 2.8 24,983 2.4 21,224 2.3 23,525 2.5
Mexico 6,730   2.2 5,460   1.6 6,739   1.7 8,687 1.9 10,670 1.9 13,931 2.5 13,713 1.9 16,733 1.6 12,986 1.4 14,500 1.5
South America 26,190   8.4 21,640   6.3 19,019   4.7 22,296 4.9 32,447 5.9 31,205 5.5 32,164 4.4 48,883 4.7 40,451 4.4 43,655 4.6
Brazil 2,870   0.9 2,840   0.8 3,898   1.0 5,497 1.2 8,846 1.6 7,009 1.2 8,777 1.2 19,370 1.9 14,000 1.5 14,897 1.6
Colombia 3,930   1.3 4,010   1.2 3,183   0.8 3,462 0.8 6,765 1.2 6,835 1.2 6,456 0.9 7,815 0.7 7,107 0.8 8,077 0.9
Venezuela 11,750   3.8 7,040   2.0 2,894   0.7 4,456 1.0 5,217 1.0 4,792 0.8 5,491 0.8 8,267 0.8 6,122 0.7 5,317 0.6

Middle East and North Africa1
88,700   28.4 54,100   15.7 32,177   7.9 24,488 5.4 28,842 5.3 21,576 3.8 47,963 6.6 108,227 10.4 57,564 6.3 53,104 5.6
Middle East2 81,390   26.1 48,120   14.0 27,636   6.8 21,066 4.6 23,658 4.3 17,806 3.2 42,543 5.9 100,926 9.7 51,282 5.6 46,314 4.9
Iran 47,550   15.2 14,210   4.1 6,262   1.5 2,628 0.6 1,844 0.3 2,420 0.4 5,626 0.8 12,269 1.2 9,614 1.1 9,295 1.0
Kuwait 2,990   1.0 3,810   1.1 1,624   0.4 3,035 0.7 3,045 0.6 1,703 0.3 2,998 0.4 9,772 0.9 6,846 0.7 5,923 0.6
Saudi Arabia 10,440   3.3 6,900   2.0 3,584   0.9 4,191 0.9 5,273 1.0 3,448 0.6 22,704 3.1 61,287 5.9 21,933 2.4 18,206 1.9
North Africa1 7,310   2.3 5,980   1.7 4,541   1.1 3,422 0.8 5,184 0.9 3,770 0.7 5,420 0.7 7,301 0.7 6,282 0.7 6,790 0.7
Egypt 1,860   0.6 2,270   0.7 1,777   0.4 1,490 0.3 2,255 0.4 1,509 0.3 2,181 0.3 3,442 0.3 3,672 0.4 3,967 0.4

North America5
14,790   4.7 16,030   4.7 18,949   4.7 23,644 5.2 25,888 4.7 28,699 5.1 27,941 3.9 26,973 2.6 25,143 2.8 27,013 2.8
Canada 14,320   4.6 15,410   4.5 18,350   4.5 23,005 5.1 25,279 4.6 28,202 5.0 27,546 3.8 26,973 2.6 25,143 2.8 27,013 2.8

Oceania
4,180   1.3 4,030   1.2 4,230   1.0 4,202 0.9 4,624 0.8 4,702 0.8 5,610 0.8 6,917 0.7 5,864 0.6 5,994 0.6
Australia 1,530   0.5 1,530   0.4 1,906   0.5 2,244 0.5 2,645 0.5 2,806 0.5 3,777 0.5 4,752 0.5 3,623 0.4 3,892 0.4

Unidentified6
240   0.1 190   0.1 89   # 30 # 10 # 0 # 10 # 10 # 12 # 12 #
#Rounds to zero.    
1North Africa was combined with the Middle East to create the "Middle East and North Africa" category as of 2011-12, and the former "Africa" category was replaced by "Sub-Saharan Africa" (which excludes North Africa). Data for years prior to 2011-12 have been revised for comparability.
2Cyprus and Turkey were classified as being in the Middle East prior to 2004-05 but in Europe for 2004-05 and later years. Data for years prior to 2004-05 have been revised for comparability.
3Data for 1980-81 and 1985-86 are for West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany before unification).
4Data for 1980-81, 1985-86, and 1990-91 are for the former U.S.S.R.
5Excludes Mexico and Central America, which are included in Latin America.
6Place of origin unknown or undeclared.
NOTE: Includes foreign students enrolled in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Totals and subtotals include other countries not shown separately. Region totals may not sum to continent totals because some continent totals include students who are not classified by country or region. Data are for "nonimmigrants" (i.e., students who have not migrated to the United States). Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: Institute of International Education, Open Doors: Report on International Educational Exchange, selected years, 1981 through 2022. (This table was prepared January 2023.)

2022 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest