In this article, we will look at the 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, you can go directly to the 5 Countries Hosting the Most Foreign Students in the World.
The US and International Education
The United States of America is one of the leading destinations for internationally mobile students pursuing higher education. According to the Power of International Education 2023 report, the number of internationally mobile students will grow from around 6 million in 2023 to over 10 million by 2030. Moreover, the United States, which is one of the top countries hosting the most foreign students in the world, will be the desired destination for approximately one-fifth of the internationally mobile students. The increase in internationally mobile students looking for higher education in Western countries is driven by the shortage of higher education capacity in Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. According to data by UNESCO, there were approximately 6,387,488 international mobile students in 2021, and around 1,175,516 students belonged to the Central and Southeastern Asian countries.
The increase in foreign students going or aspiring to go to the US has made education the 5th largest export industry for the country. Moreover, approximately over 368,000 jobs in the US are associated with advising and ensuring the smooth stay of international students in the country.
The United States: One of the Top Host Countries for International Students
According to an Open Doors report on the International Education Exchange, the United States has been witnessing rapid growth in international student inflows since the 1950s, with the number of international students growing from only 144,708 students in 1970/71 to 1,057,188 students in 2022/23.
The colleges and universities in the United States have the capacity and desire to host a growing number of international students. As per the Fall 2023 Snapshot on International Students survey conducted by the Power of International Education that surveyed more than 630 US higher education institutes, 92% of the institutions mentioned the desire to increase their international student enrolments. Moreover, 85% of these institutions indicated that they plan to keep their financial efforts to enroll international students the same as in previous years or increase them in the future. One of the factors driving the enthusiasm of US institutes to host more international students is the 10% drop in domestic enrolments since 2010. Moreover, as the US birth rates continue to decrease, projections expect a 15% decline in college enrolments from domestic students. Therefore, higher education institutes in the country are focusing on increasing their international enrolments to keep their pipelines steady.
If you want to read more about the best countries to study as an international student, you can look at 15 Best Countries To Study Abroad For International Students and the 15 Cheapest Universities with Low Tuition Fees for International Students in Europe.
Leading Education Companies in the United States
Stride, Inc. (NYSE:LRN) and Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) are two of the leading companies providing education technology services in the United States. If you want to read more about education related companies you can read 11 Best Education Stocks To Buy In 2024.
Stride, Inc. (NYSE:LRN) is a leading education technology company that provides third-party curriculums, software, and education technology facilities internationally and in the US. The technology solutions provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE:LRN) help institutions attract students to enroll and get educated with modern technology-based learning. On May 1, Stride, Inc. (NYSE:LRN) announced a partnership between one of its companies MedCerts, and Mott Community College (MCC) Workforce and Economic Development Division. MedCerts is a national online training program to strengthen the workforce through e-learning solutions. The collaboration with MCC is aimed to enhance Allied Health education. Under this collaboration, MCC will collaborate with MedCert’s short-term online content and programs to provide opportunities for students interested in pursuing a career in healthcare roles.
Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) is another leading provider of education technologies in the United States. The company engages in the provision of Ed-Tech services including internal administration systems, learning management systems, infrastructure, and other related academic technology services. On May 7, Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOPE) announced earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2024. The company reported earnings per share of $2.35 and beat EPS expectations by $0.13. The revenue of the company for the quarter grew 9.82% year over year and amounted to $274.68 million, ahead of market consensus by $2.28 million. Here are some comments from the Q1 2024 earnings call of Grand Canyon Education, Inc.’s (NASDAQ:LOPE):
The 80 hybrid locations we are building are for students entering programs for some of the content can be learned online, while a significant part must be learned in a brick-and-mortar laboratory setting. Currently, it is health care programs, specifically nursing that are offered in those settings, but eventually, we will add additional programs that fit the hybrid methodology. Our total investment in these settings will exceed $240 million and allow us to teach approximately 50,000 students. The fourth platform is for students who want access to the rapidly expanding trade professions. These are shorter programs in a physical brick-and-mortar setting that combine real-world work experience with classroom learning. These students after gaining employment can finish their bachelor’s degree online.
Now that we have discussed how the US is one of the leading hosts for international students, let’s look at the 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world.
Billion Photos/Shutterstock.com
Our Methodology
To compile our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world we relied on UNESCO data on the number and rates of internationally mobile students (inbound and outbound) and the number of students and enrolment/attendance rate by level of education. From these two datasets, we used the 2021 data from the Inbound Mobility Ratio and Enrolment in tertiary education, all programs, both sexes indicators.
The inbound mobility ratio is defined by UNESCO as the number of students from abroad studying in a given country, expressed as a percentage of total tertiary enrolment in that country.
We calculated the number of international students studying in a country by first converting the percentage from the inbound mobility ratio to decimal and then multiplying it with the total enrollment in tertiary education of that country. Once we had the list of countries hosting the most foreign students in the world, we ranked them in ascending order of the number of international students that were enrolled in each country in 2021. Moreover, we have also mentioned some of the top universities in each country as per the QS World University Ranking 2024.
15 Countries Hosting the Most Foreign Students in the World
15. Austria
Number of International Students (2021): 82,083
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 18.72%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 438,383
Austria ranks 15th on our list of countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. It is a landlocked European country. Austria had an inbound mobility ratio of 18.72% in 2021. The University of Vienna and the Technische Universität Wien are two of the top universities in Austria ranking in the top 200 of the QS World University ranking. Moreover, both universities have over 85% international student ratio.
14. Malaysia
Number of International Students (2021): 92,519
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 8.07%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 1,147,071
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country that ranks 14th on our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. The country had an inbound mobility ratio of 8.07% in 2021 and hosted approximately 92,519 international students in 2021. The Universiti Malaya (UM) and the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) are two of the top universities in Malaysia ranking in the top 100 of the QS World University ranking. If you want to explore more about Asian universities you can look at the 20 Best Universities in Asia for International Students.
13. Argentina
Number of International Students (2021): 117,794
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 3.16%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 3,731,692
Argentina is a South American country that ranks 13th on our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. Argentina had approximately 117,794 international students in 2021. Moreover, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is one the best universities in Argentina and ranks in the top 100 universities in the QS World University ranking.
12. South Korea
Number of International Students (2021): 118,528
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 4.08%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 2,908,321
South Korea ranks as the 12th country hosting the most foreign students in the world. In 2021 there were approximately 2,908,321 students enrolled in tertiary education, out of which 118,528 were international students. Four South Korean universities rank in the top 100 of the QS World University ranking including the Seoul National University and the KAIST – Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology.
11. Netherlands
Number of International Students (2021): 135,535
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 13.72%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 987,564
The Netherlands is a Northwestern European country that ranks 11th on our list of 15 best countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. The country had an inbound mobility ratio of 13.72% in 2021 and hosted approximately 135,535 international students during the same year.
10. Japan
Number of International Students (2021): 216,241
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 5.57%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 3,879,086
Japan makes it to the top 10 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. It is an island country in East Asia. The country is known for attracting international students due to its advanced higher education. The country hosted 216,241 international students in 2021 and had an inbound mobility ratio of 5.57%.
9. China
Number of International Students (2021): 221,654
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 0.41%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 53,823,026
China ranks 9th on our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. It had an inbound mobility ratio of 0.41% and hosted approximately 221,654 international students in 2021. Peking University and Zhejiang University are two of the top universities ranking in the top 50 of the QS World University ranking along with the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and the Fudan University.
8. Türkiye
Number of International Students (2021): 224,048
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 2.71%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 8,280,595
Türkiye ranks 8th on our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. The country had an inbound mobility ratio of 2.71% and hosted a total of 224,048 international students in 2021.
7. France
Number of International Students (2021): 252,856
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 9.00%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 2,809,289
France is a Western European country that ranks 7th country hosting the most foreign students in the world. It had an inbound mobility ratio of 9% in 2021. Moreover, the Université PSL and the Institut Polytechnique de Paris are two of the best universities in France that rank among the top 50 universities according to the QS World University Ranking.
6. Canada
Number of International Students (2021): 312,630
Inbound Mobility Ratio (2021): 17.37%
Total Enrolment in Tertiary Education (2021): 1,799,640
Canada, a North American country, is one of the most sought-after study destinations for international students. The country ranks 6th on our list of 15 countries hosting the most foreign students in the world. Canada had an inbound mobility ratio of 17.37% and hosted approximately 312,630 international students in 2021. Some of the best universities ranking in the top 50% as per the QS World University Ranking include the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the University of British Columbia.
Click to continue reading and see the 5 Countries Hosting the Most Foreign Students in the World.
Suggested Articles:
- 20 Largest Universities in the World
- 15 Cheapest American Universities with Low Tuition for International Students
- Academic Ranking of World Universities: Top 30
Disclosure: None. 15 Countries Hosting the Most Foreign Students in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.