NAFSA: Association of International Educators released new data last week showing that international students at colleges and universities in the United States “contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year and supported more than 378,000 jobs.” According to NAFSA’s analysis, international students’ economic contributions to the United States were at “the highest amount ever calculated.”
Further, the data showed that “for every three international students, one U.S. job is created/supported.” States with the largest economic activity derived from international students were California, New York, Massachusetts, Texas, and Illinois.
NAFSA also updated its International Student Economic Value Tool, which provides national, state, and congressional district-level data on the economic contributions of international students. The tool defines economic value “as the amount of money that international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities collectively bring to the United States to pay for their education and to support themselves while they (and in some cases, their families) are here in the United States.”
There were more than 1.1 million international students in the United States during the 2023-24 academic year and international students accounted for 6% of the total higher education population in the United States, according to a recent report released by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education. According to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange, "more than half (56%) of international students across academic levels pursued STEM fields of study," with one in four (25%) studying math and computer science and nearly one in five (19%) studying engineering.
The report also showed that, while the total number of international students in the United States in the 2023-24 academic year was 6.6% higher than the previous year, the increase was largely driven by recent graduates staying in the country to work as part of the federal Optional Practical Training program (+22%); the number of international undergraduates overall declined by 1% and the total number of new international students enrolling at U.S. colleges and universities increased by 0.1%. The Open Doors report also revealed that, for the first time since 2009, there are now more international students from India (331,602) in the United States than from China (277,398).
Beyond contributing economically to the United States, international students play a significant role in the American research enterprise and drive entrepreneurship and innovation. As AAU’s 2022 joint report with the Business Roundtable noted, “International students, scientists and engineers help drive cutting-edge research and development, fill job openings in critical STEM fields, advance national security and bolster the U.S. economy by generating new domestic startups and businesses.” U.S. economic competitiveness increasingly depends on international talent, and it is crucial that American immigration policies continue to enable international students to come to our universities.
Kritika Agarwal is senior editorial officer at AAU.