During the academic year 2022–23, over one million students were enrolled in US institutions, contributing approximately $40.1 billion to the American economy, according to NAFSA. While this falls slightly short of the pre-pandemic level of $40.5 billion, it marks a significant increase of nearly $6.3 billion from the previous year, showcasing positive growth.
The NAFSA report underscores the remarkable recovery in international student enrollment, rebounding from the pandemic-induced decline. It reveals that international students in the US have contributed to approximately 368,333 jobs within educational institutions and their surrounding communities. This marks an impressive increase of almost 10 percent compared to the previous year and a substantial 20 percent rise from the COVID-19 period.
Among all states, California gets substantial benefits from international students, with approximately 138,393 students contributing a total of $6 billion to the state’s economy and supporting over 55,000 jobs. New York closely followed suit, hosting 126,782 international students who contributed nearly $5.8 billion to the state’s economy and supported 50,430 jobs.
International students significantly contribute to the US economy by paying tuition fees at universities and colleges. Additionally, their spending on meals, transportation, housing, and various other necessities during their stay further bolsters economic activity in the country.
Over the past four decades, there has been a notable surge in the number of international students studying in the US. As of the academic year 2022–23, the count reached 1,057,188, marking a significant 12 percent increase from the previous year. A remarkable 21 percent increase in graduate student enrollment primarily contributed to this surge, while the number of international undergraduates experienced a marginal rise of only 0.9 percent.
