Open Doors Report: US sees biggest dip in global students at 15% in 2020-21

China, India post 15% and 13% decline in students to the US in 2020-21

With the global Covid-19 pandemic impacting overseas education, there has been a decline of 15 per cent in the number of international students in the US for 2020-21, as against a decline of 1.8 per cent in 2019-20, shows the latest Open Doors Report 2021.

The highest annual decline of 15 per cent for the US came amid countries affected by waves and variants of the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting international travel and overseas education. The highest annual growth in international students that the US saw in the recent past was 10 per cent clocked in 2014-15. The annual growth has since fallen to 7.1 per cent in 2015-16, 3.4 per cent in 2016-17, 1.5 per cent in 2017-18 and 0.05 per cent in 2018-19.

China and India, which account for 53 per cent of total international students in the US, have seen a decline of 15 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively. The number of annual Chinese students, accounting for 35 per cent of total international students in the US, fell to 317,299. Indians comprised nearly 20 per cent of overseas students in the US, with 167,582 in the 2020-2021 academic year.

The other three of the top five countries that send students to the US are South Korea at 39,491 students, Canada (25,143) and Saudi Arabia (21,933) in 2020-21 academic year. While the annual number of students to the US from South Korea fell by 20.7 per cent, those for Canada and Saudi Arabia were down 3.3 per cent and 29.2 per cent, respectively.

However, hinting at a probable shift in the downward trend going forward, Minister Counsellor for Consular Affairs Don Heflin said that the US embassy issued over 62,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year.

"Despite the global pandemic, Indian students were able to apply for visas and travel to the United States. We issued over 62,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year. This goes to show that the United States remains the destination of choice for Indian students looking to study abroad. We look forward to issuing many more visas in the year to come, to help Indian students achieve their dreams of U.S. study," said Heflin.

According to the US embassy, last year, the U.S. government and U.S. higher-education institutions implemented measures to safely welcome international students in person, online, and via hybrid learning methods, guaranteeing that opportunities and resources to international students remained robust.

"International student mobility is central to U.S. diplomacy, innovation, economic prosperity, and national security. The United States is the gold standard for higher education, providing world-class practical application and experience that gives our graduates an advantage in the global economy. We value Indian students, as they build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships, and to collectively address current and future global challenges," said Counselor for Cultural and Educational Affairs, Anthony Miranda.

Meanwhile, the 2021 Fall Snapshot of the Open Doors report, which looks forward to the 2021-2022 academic year, shows a substantial increase in student numbers this year, further affirming that international students value a U.S. education and remain committed to pursuing higher education in the United States.