International S&E Higher Education

This section provides data on international students in U.S. institutions (enrollment and degrees earned) and the U.S. position in higher education within a global context. The data show a decline in overall international student enrollment in U.S. institutions in fall 2020, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Data on degree awards, however, show that increasing numbers of foreign students continue to earn U.S. S&E degrees at most degree levels (pre-COVID-19). Foreign students on temporary visas earn a substantial proportion of U.S. doctoral degrees in S&E fields such as engineering, computer sciences, and economics. The global emphasis on building S&E capabilities is evident in international data; China and India have seen rapid increases in S&E degree production over time, compared with a more moderate rise in the United States and most European nations.

International Students in U.S. Higher Education: Enrollment

International Student Enrollment During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In fall 2020, about 605,000 international students enrolled in degree programs in U.S. higher education institutions (Figure HED-21; Table HED-4). This represents a decline of almost 23% (177,000 students) from 2019, much larger than the declines in the previous 3 years, and reflects impacts of COVID-19 on international student mobility. The decline was proportionately larger for undergraduates (who declined from 419,000 in 2019 to 315,000 in 2020, around 25%) than for graduate students (who declined from 363,000 to 290,000, around 20%). It was also larger for students studying non-S&E fields (from 376,000 to 279,000, around 26%) than for those studying S&E fields (from 406,000 to 326,000 in 2020, around 20%). Though not captured in the data reported here, other sources indicate that declines may have been especially large for first-time enrollments (Baer and Martel 2020; Zhou and Gao 2021).

International students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, by level of enrollment: 2012–20
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International students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, by level of enrollment: 2012–20

(Number)
Year Undergraduate Graduate
2012 350,550 284,570
2013 373,120 302,490
2014 407,100 342,480
2015 417,530 361,380
2016 452,180 390,300
2017 442,210 368,890
2018 435,270 369,150
2019 418,660 363,290
2020 314,560 290,140
Note(s):

Data include active foreign national students on F-1 visas and exclude those on optional practical training. Undergraduate level includes associate's and bachelor's degrees; graduate level includes master's and doctoral degrees. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. The data reflect fall enrollment in a given year and include students with active status as of 15 November of that year. Data in this table differ from previously published numbers due to improved classification of S&E fields.

Source(s):

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, special tabulations (2021) of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.

Science and Engineering Indicators

International students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions, by broad field and academic level: 2012–20

(Number)
Note(s):

Data include active foreign national students on F-1 visas and exclude those on optional practical training. Undergraduate level includes associate's and bachelor's degrees; graduate level includes master's and doctoral degrees. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. Detail may not add to total because of rounding and the inclusion of a small number of students who could not be classified according to field of study. The data reflect fall enrollment in a given year and include students with active status as of 15 November of that year. Data in this table differ from previously published numbers due to improved classification of S&E fields.

Source(s):

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, special tabulations (2021) of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) database.

Science and Engineering Indicators

Despite this significant reduction in numbers, there was little change in relative international student enrollment either in terms of country of origin or field of study. At the undergraduate level, China remained the largest sender (around 35%) of S&E students. India sent around 8%, and other countries each sent 4% or less (Table SHED-9). Likewise, at the graduate level, China remains the top sender of S&E students (36%), followed by India (28%), with other countries each sending 3% or less (Table SHED-10).

Undergraduate S&E students on temporary visas still predominantly studied engineering (27% of enrolled international students), followed by computer sciences (24%) and social sciences (17%), with other fields at 10% or less. S&E graduate students on temporary visas studied engineering (35% of enrolled international students) and computer sciences (27%), with other fields at 9% or less.

International Students in U.S. Higher Education: Degrees Earned

S&E Bachelor’s Degrees

Students in the United States on temporary visas have consistently earned a small share (around 4%–7%) of S&E bachelor’s degrees, although their total number more than doubled from 21,000 in 2011 to nearly 50,000 in 2019 (Table SHED-5). In 2019, temporary visa holders earned the largest shares of bachelor’s degrees awarded in economics (19%), mathematics and statistics (19%), engineering (11%), and physics (10%). S&E fields accounted for nearly half (49%) of the bachelor’s degrees earned by students on temporary visas.

S&E Graduate Degrees

Students on temporary visas are earning increasing shares of U.S. S&E master’s degrees—36% in 2019 compared with 26% in 2011—as their total numbers increased from about 39,000 to nearly 75,000 during this period (Table SHED-6). During this interval, the biggest increases were in engineering and computer sciences, though these trends have stabilized over the past 3 years. Similar to bachelor’s degrees, a considerable proportion of the master’s degrees earned by students on temporary visas are in S&E fields (54% in 2019, up from 46% in 2011).

Trends at the doctoral level have remained stable for a longer time (Table SHED-7). In 2019, students on temporary visas earned about 35% of S&E doctorates, around the same as in 2011. This relatively stable trend is observed across all broad S&E fields: the shares of doctorates awarded to temporary visa holders did not change much since 2011. During this time, the numbers of S&E doctoral recipients on temporary visas increased from around 13,200 to around 16,600.

Temporary visa holders earn half or more of U.S. doctoral degrees in certain S&E fields. In 2019, temporary visa holders earned 62% of doctorates in economics. They also earned more than half of doctorates in computer sciences (59%), engineering (58%), and mathematics and statistics (51%). For postgraduation information on U.S.-trained S&E doctorate recipients on temporary visas at the time of graduation, see the report “The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers” section Stay Rates of Noncitizen U.S.-Trained S&E Doctorates.

Countries of Origin for Doctorate Recipients

Top Countries and Fields

Since 2000, U.S. universities have awarded over 290,000 doctorates to temporary visa holders, with the vast majority (nearly 250,000, or 86%) in S&E fields. Over that time, the top three countries—China, India, and South Korea—accounted for 55% (136,000) of all international recipients of S&E doctoral degrees, and the top 25 countries accounted for nearly 85% (210,000) (see Figure HED-25; Table HED-5). For 22 of the top 25 countries, 75% or more of the students who earn doctorates in the United States did so in S&E fields. For 15 of the top 25 countries, engineering is the most popular S&E field; for example, engineering doctorates constitute 35% of total doctoral degrees earned by Chinese students at U.S. universities. For India, the figure is nearly 40%, and for Iran, it is 66%.

Top 25 regions, countries, or economies of origin of U.S. doctorate recipients on temporary visas, by broad field: 2001–20
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Top 25 regions, countries, or economies of origin of U.S. doctorate recipients on temporary visas, by broad field: 2001–20

(Number)
Region, country, or economy Engineering Science Non-S&E
China 30,599 51,204 6,709
India 14,397 19,844 2,324
South Korea 8,023 11,758 6,213
Taiwan 3,418 6,347 2,883
Canada 1,060 5,339 2,628
Turkey 3,104 4,268 1,515
Iran 4,834 2,115 389
Thailand 1,701 2,793 672
Japan 479 2,621 1,021
Mexico 912 2,539 638
Germany 494 2,411 854
Saudi Arabia 872 1,652 902
Brazil 534 2,347 534
Russia 395 2,257 382
Italy 596 1,675 702
Colombia 783 1,688 473
Bangladesh 1,189 1,201 163
Egypt 1,116 1,096 225
France 635 1,232 459
Nepal 388 1,677 123
United Kingdom 147 1,312 638
Romania 243 1,537 283
Jordan 747 968 235
Greece 643 1,062 219
Sri Lanka 286 1,559 61
Note(s):

Data include temporary residents and non-U.S. citizens with unknown visa status. China includes Hong Kong. Science includes natural sciences and social and behavioral sciences fields.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations (2021) of the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).

Science and Engineering Indicators

Top 25 countries of origin of U.S. doctorate recipients on temporary visas, by broad doctoral field: 2001–20

(Number)

s = suppressed for reasons of confidentiality and/or reliability.

a Excludes cases with unknown country of origin.

b China includes Hong Kong.

Note(s):

Data include temporary residents and non-U.S. citizens with unknown visa status. Rank is based on total number of doctorates.

Source(s):

National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, special tabulations (2021) of the 2020 Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).

Science and Engineering Indicators

Although students from South Korea earned less than a third of the number of doctorates earned by students from China from 2000 to 2019, they earned almost the same number of non-S&E doctorates (about 6,200 vs. 6,700).

Canada and Mexico are among the top 10 countries sending students who earn doctorates in the United States. For Canadian students earning doctorates in the United States, the most popular S&E fields are biological sciences and social sciences; for Mexican students, the most popular fields are engineering and social sciences.

Although 8 of the top 25 countries are European, the top 10 is dominated by countries in Asia. More than 30% of students from the United Kingdom earned doctorates in non-S&E fields. This is the highest percentage of any of the top 25 countries.

From 2000 to 2008, the number of students earning S&E doctorates at U.S. universities doubled to about 4,100 for China and nearly tripled to 2,200 for India. Since 2008, patterns for these two countries have diverged. Numbers of Chinese doctorate recipients have increased to more than 5,700 in 2019. Numbers of Indian doctorate recipients have stayed relatively flat, with a slight decline over the last several years to about 1,900. South Korea saw an increase from about 700 students earning S&E doctorates in the United States in 2000 to about 1,150 in 2008. Since then, numbers have slowly declined to about 800 in 2019. One other notable trend is an increase in the number of doctorate recipients from Iran, rising steadily from about 150 in 2010 to 960 in 2020 (see NCSES SED 2020: Table 26 and, for older trend data, NCSES SED 2010: Table 25 and Table 26).

U.S. Position in Global S&E Higher Education

Educational Attainment

Overall Attainment Levels

Educational attainment, measured as the proportion of a population that has reached a specific level of education, is often used as a proxy for human capital and the skill levels associated with that level (OECD 2020). Although the United States continues to have a relatively high percentage (38%) of the population ages 25–64 with a bachelor’s or higher degree, many countries have now surpassed the United States in the percentage of the younger population (ages 25–34, 40%) with these levels of education (Figure HED-26). Of 25- to 34-year-olds in the United States, 28% hold a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree, which is higher than the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 24%. However, only 12% attain education higher than a bachelor’s degree, which is lower than the OECD average of 15% (OECD 2020). Moreover, the increase in attainment among younger people relative to older people visible in other OECD economies is not visible in the United States.

Attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher, by region, country, or economy and age group: 2019 or most recent year
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Attainment of a bachelor's degree or higher, by region, country, or economy and age group: 2019 or most recent year

(Percent)
Region, country, or economy Younger adults (ages 25–34 years) All adults (ages 25–64 years)
Ireland 63 51
Lithuania 55 43
Switzerland 53 44
Luxembourg 50 47
South Korea 49 36
Netherlands 48 38
Belgium 47 40
Iceland 46 43
United Kingdom 44 37
Denmark 43 35
Estonia 43 35
Poland 43 32
Finland 42 36
Australia 42 35
Greece 41 30
United States 40 38
New Zealand 40 35
OECD average 40 32
Russia (2018) 40 32
Canada 39 33
Slovakia 39 26
Israel 37 38
Sweden 37 34
Norway 37 33
Latvia 37 32
Slovenia 37 26
Portugal 37 26
France 34 23
Germany 33 29
Spain 33 27
Czechia 33 24
Hungary 28 25
Italy 28 20
Argentina (2018) 27 22
Austria 26 18
Turkey 25 16
Chile (2017) 24 16
Mexico 23 18
Costa Rica 22 19
Brazil (2018) 21 18
India (2011) 13 10
China (2010) 8 4

OECD = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Note(s):

Data include degrees at International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 2011 levels 6 (bachelor's or equivalent), 7 (master's or equivalent), and 8 (doctorate or equivalent).

Source(s):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2020, Education at a Glance 2020: OECD Indicators, available at https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/education-at-a-glance-2020_69096873-en.

Science and Engineering Indicators

In the United States, large variation exists in the proportion of 25- to 34-year-olds with a postsecondary degree (in international comparisons, this is often referred to as tertiary attainment). There are differences between demographic groups (de Brey et al. Digest of Education Statistics 2019Table 104.20 and Table 104.60). There is also geographic variation in the United States, with tertiary attainment levels ranging from a high of 76% in the District of Columbia to a low of 32% in New Mexico (OECD 2020).

First-University Degrees in S&E Fields

First-university degrees are defined as terminal undergraduate degree programs (see the Glossary section for a more detailed definition) and are often used in international comparisons to accommodate differences among countries in higher education systems. In general, it can be useful to think of a first-university degree as equivalent to a bachelor’s degree. According to the most recent estimates, the United States awarded about 810,000 S&E first-university degrees (Figure HED-27; Table SHED-11). India and China, much larger countries than the United States in terms of overall population, produced 2.3 million and 1.8 million S&E first-university degrees, respectively. Previous editions of Indicators have reported single years of first-university degree data for India. This edition utilizes new data from the All India Survey on Higher Education to provide trend data back to 2011. Other nations reporting large numbers of S&E first-university degrees include Brazil (315,000), Mexico (241,000), the United Kingdom (180,000), Japan (173,000), Turkey (150,000), Germany (147,000), South Korea (139,000), and France (128,000).

S&E first-university degrees, by selected region, country, or economy: 2000–18
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S&E first-university degrees, by selected region, country, or economy: 2000–18

(Number)
Year Brazil China France Germany India Japan Mexico South Korea Turkey United Kingdom United States
2000 NA 359,478 120,705 69,053 NA 353,465 96,474 99,352 51,875 108,406 503,467
2001 NA 337,352 130,705 65,380 NA 359,019 101,635 113,988 55,101 119,491 507,877
2002 NA 384,529 117,832 66,357 NA 357,282 113,201 116,317 56,828 119,843 529,533
2003 NA 533,582 125,304 69,549 NA 352,088 99,134 119,104 57,425 122,518 536,792
2004 126,780 672,463 125,304 74,979 NA 351,299 104,934 124,479 57,428 122,791 520,912
2005 130,656 796,430 75,721 59,329 NA 349,015 122,092 138,254 72,147 142,516 563,265
2006 145,983 911,846 107,572 100,212 NA 350,137 131,743 120,612 75,109 128,299 561,019
2007 151,414 1,031,911 107,200 110,774 NA 344,990 136,777 121,293 82,341 126,934 568,382
2008 156,265 1,143,338 106,765 124,465 NA 336,815 130,418 134,850 95,449 130,922 579,670
2009 151,666 1,225,642 106,462 134,781 NA 333,553 143,152 130,740 103,285 129,813 589,271
2010 192,616 1,288,999 77,374 144,724 NA 321,168 145,971 128,716 110,119 135,845 624,289
2011 201,636 1,387,374 78,294 152,872 1,475,992 325,365 159,873 135,254 85,489 143,176 653,341
2012 209,920 1,500,689 81,209 155,223 1,698,064 319,783 170,472 134,600 99,812 150,787 687,221
2013 208,304 1,559,840 80,800 157,719 1,747,614 316,730 180,755 130,533 101,214 160,363 712,383
2014 219,525 1,653,565 80,885 158,833 1,880,149 173,283 189,782 130,648 128,672 180,340 733,698
2015 235,267 1,716,413 127,138 161,118 2,099,657 180,888 194,886 141,363 139,684 165,792 751,195
2016 262,301 1,772,830 129,028 155,533 2,325,221 178,891 221,456 146,438 146,128 165,792 768,291
2017 282,278 1,802,760 81,736 151,585 2,327,061 173,573 231,571 145,567 149,730 169,832 790,324
2018 314,863 1,821,950 128,197 146,831 2,298,809 172,899 241,291 139,111 149,986 179,823 811,195
Note(s):

To facilitate international comparison, data for the United States are those reported to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which vary slightly from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics classification of fields presented in other sections of the report. Data are not available for Brazil for 2000–03 or for India for 2000–10.

Source(s):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD.Stat; Eurostat, Education and training database; National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Yearbook (various years); People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education data (various years); Government of Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Survey of Education (various years); Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, All India Survey on Higher Education (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators

S&E first-university degrees as a proportion of all first-university degrees vary across countries (Figure HED-28). For the United States, the figure is about 41%. Of the countries and economies displayed in Figure HED-28, the United States awards the highest percentage of degrees in social sciences (18%) and the lowest percentage in engineering (7%).

First-university degrees by S&E field, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018
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First-university degrees by S&E field, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018

(Percent)
Region, country, or economy Engineering Computer sciences Social and behavioral sciences Physical and biological sciences and mathematics and statistics Agricultural sciences
China 32.8 NA 5.9 6.6 1.7
United Kingdom 8.5 4.3 13.2 17.5 0.9
United States 7.4 4.3 18.0 10.0 1.1
South Korea 20.7 4.9 7.1 5.8 1.5
Germany 20.7 4.5 6.4 6.4 1.9
Mexico 19.0 5.3 9.8 2.4 2.1
France 14.1 3.8 8.6 8.4 1.3
India 12.8 2.5 3.1 16.3 0.8
Turkey 15.3 0.2 12.7 3.2 1.6
Japan 15.1 NA 8.5 3.1 3.0
Brazil 12.9 3.4 4.9 1.3 2.4
Note(s):

Computer sciences is included under engineering for China and Japan. To facilitate international comparison, data for the United States are those reported to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which vary slightly from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics classification of fields presented in other sections of the report.

Source(s):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD.Stat; Eurostat, Education and training database; People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education data; Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, All India Survey on Higher Education.

Science and Engineering Indicators

S&E Doctoral Degrees

According to the most recent estimates, the United States awards the largest number of S&E doctoral degrees of any country (about 41,000), followed by China (about 40,000), India (27,000), the United Kingdom (17,000), Germany (15,000), Brazil (11,000), France and Spain (about 9,000 each), and Japan (7,000) (Figure HED-29; Table SHED-12).

S&E doctoral degrees, by selected region, country, or economy: 2000–18
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S&E doctoral degrees, by selected region, country, or economy: 2000–18

(Number)
Year Brazil China France Germany India Japan South Korea Spain United Kingdom United States
2000 NA 7,766 6,640 11,888 5,541 7,089 2,914 2,937 7,481 26,086
2001 NA 8,153 6,957 11,271 5,504 7,401 3,013 3,124 8,878 26,060
2002 NA 9,523 6,957 10,618 5,637 7,461 3,294 3,394 8,722 24,992
2003 NA 12,238 5,639 10,340 6,471 7,581 3,280 3,741 8,971 26,011
2004 NA 14,858 5,639 10,107 7,636 7,912 3,629 3,965 9,267 22,797
2005 NA 17,595 6,868 10,740 7,537 7,658 3,817 3,659 9,582 29,216
2006 NA 22,953 6,854 10,871 7,982 8,122 3,943 3,684 9,916 30,289
2007 NA 26,582 7,402 11,084 NA 8,017 3,796 3,825 10,524 32,394
2008 NA 28,439 7,835 11,887 NA 7,761 3,867 3,852 9,674 33,423
2009 NA 31,423 8,356 11,691 NA 7,396 3,994 4,167 10,425 33,953
2010 NA 31,410 9,025 12,576 NA 7,470 4,421 5,101 11,322 33,672
2011 NA 32,208 9,466 13,281 14,191 7,100 5,454 5,576 11,859 35,113
2012 NA 32,331 9,692 13,666 15,132 7,100 5,713 5,812 12,103 36,356
2013 NA 33,490 9,731 14,936 15,500 6,791 5,963 6,474 14,732 37,951
2014 9,124 34,103 10,023 14,912 13,616 7,357 6,087 6,708 14,271 39,682
2015 9,414 34,440 10,020 15,957 15,780 7,540 6,104 7,174 15,338 39,933
2016 10,469 35,147 9,564 15,871 17,905 7,391 6,557 8,373 15,338 39,710
2017 10,752 37,506 9,755 15,761 23,246 6,745 6,903 10,711 15,757 40,319
2018 11,365 39,768 8,987 15,061 26,890 6,754 7,077 9,480 17,366 41,071
Note(s):

To facilitate international comparison, data for the United States are those reported to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which vary slightly from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics classification of fields presented in other sections of the report. Data are not available for Brazil for 2000–13 or for India for 2007–10.

Source(s):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD.Stat; Eurostat, Education and training database; National Bureau of Statistics of China, China Statistical Yearbook (various years); People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education data (various years); Government of Japan, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Survey of Education (various years); Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, All India Survey on Higher Education (various years).

Science and Engineering Indicators

Comparisons of doctoral degree production between the United States and other nations should include the consideration that a substantial number of U.S. S&E doctorate recipients are students on temporary visas. However, as mentioned earlier and discussed in “The STEM Labor Force of Today: Scientists, Engineers, and Skilled Technical Workers,” many of these doctorate recipients stay in the United States for subsequent employment after obtaining their degree.

In most of the nations shown in Figure HED-30, S&E doctoral degrees constituted more than half of total doctorate degrees. In addition, for most of these nations, the largest proportion of S&E doctoral degrees was awarded in the physical and biological sciences and in mathematics and statistics. However, in China, South Korea, and Japan, engineering students receive the most S&E doctoral degrees. When comparing only natural sciences (including physical and biological sciences; mathematics and statistics; computer sciences; earth, atmospheric, and ocean sciences; and agricultural sciences) and engineering doctoral degrees, China surpassed the United States as the world’s largest producer in 2007 and has remained so ever since. In 2018, China awarded nearly 38,000 doctorates in these fields; the United States awarded 31,000. While this trend is projected to continue, at the same time there is evidence to suggest that the quality of China’s doctoral education has risen and that most Chinese doctorate recipients receive their degrees from that nation’s elite universities (Zwetsloot et al. 2021).

Doctoral degrees by broad area of study, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018
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Doctoral degrees by broad area of study, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018

(Percent)
Region, country, or economy Physical and biological sciences and mathematics and statistics Engineering Social and behavioral sciences Computer sciences Agricultural sciences
India 24.6 17.5 9.9 1.2 12.6
China 21.1 36.3 3.5 NA 4.5
France 34.4 14.4 10.3 5.2 1.1
United Kingdom 29.6 14.6 9.3 4.1 1.2
United States 23.5 15.4 13.5 2.7 1.4
Spain 29.9 7.2 11.3 4.8 1.7
Germany 29.0 13.0 6.0 3.1 2.9
Brazil 14.9 14.5 7.5 1.5 11.2
South Korea 12.7 24.9 5.0 3.4 2.3
Japan 13.3 21.4 2.6 NA 5.7
Note(s):

Computer sciences is included under engineering for China and Japan. To facilitate international comparison, data for the United States are those reported to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which vary slightly from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics classification of fields presented in other sections of the report.

Source(s):

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD.Stat; Eurostat, Education and training database; People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education data; Government of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Higher Education, All India Survey on Higher Education.

Science and Engineering Indicators

International Student Mobility

Internationally mobile students are those who have crossed a national or territorial border for purposes of education and are now enrolled outside their countries of origin. Students become increasingly mobile at more advanced levels of education. Across OECD countries, international students account for an average of less than 5% of bachelor’s or equivalent enrollment, 13% of master’s or equivalent enrollment, and 22% of doctoral or equivalent enrollment (OECD 2020).

Across nations, international students also favor S&E fields and tend to enroll in these fields at higher levels than domestic students (OECD 2020). As shown in earlier sections, these trends are also observed among international students in U.S. institutions.

More internationally mobile students (undergraduate and graduate) come to the United States than to any other country (18% of internationally mobile students worldwide) (Figure HED-31). Other top destinations for international students include the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Russia, and France. The top 20 destination countries in 2018 together received around 80% of internationally mobile students worldwide. China is also an increasingly popular destination for globally mobile students, now in the top 10.

Internationally mobile students enrolled in tertiary education, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018 or most recent year
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Internationally mobile students enrolled in tertiary education, by selected region, country, or economy: 2018 or most recent year

(Thousands)
Region, country, or economy Students
United States 987.3
United Kingdom 452.1
Australia 444.5
Germany 311.7
Russia 262.4
France 229.6
United Arab Emirates (2019) 225.3
Canada 224.5
China (2019) 201.2
Japan 182.7
Turkey 125.1
Argentina 109.2
Italy 106.6
Netherlands 104.0
South Korea 84.7
Malaysia (2019) 82.0
Austria 75.3
Saudi Arabia 74.0
Spain 70.9
Poland 54.4
Note(s):

Data are based on the number of students who have crossed a national border and moved to another country with the objective of studying (i.e., mobile students). China excludes Hong Kong.

Source(s):

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), special tabulations (2021) of the Institute for Statistics database.

Science and Engineering Indicators

The U.S. share of worldwide internationally mobile students has declined slightly over time, reflecting several factors. The number of internationally mobile students in higher education worldwide (in all fields) has risen dramatically, from around 2 million in 2000 to 5.6 million in 2018 (OECD 2020). According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics, China and India send the most students abroad; their combined share of outbound internationally mobile students rose from 19% in 2008 to 25% in 2018. Around one-third of Chinese students studying abroad came to the United States in 2018, a proportion that changed very little in the previous 5 years. Around 39% of Indian students studying abroad came to the United States in 2018, down from 46% in 2014. An increasing number of Indian students are studying in Australia (21% in 2018, up from 12% in 2014) and Canada (10% in 2018, up from 7% in 2014).

A related factor is increasing competition among countries for international students; some have set targets for attracting certain numbers. Countries like Australia and Canada have recently reported double-digit growth in international students. However, across nations, border closures due to the pandemic may affect global mobility patterns.