Increase for USA IEPs in 2023 to around 90 per cent recovery

Students enrolled: The annual Open Doors Intensive English Program data release by IIE is based on the responses of 360 institutions and shows that there were 67,924 international students enrolled in 2023.

The total was a six per cent increase over 2022, when the sector posted 63 per cent growth over the pandemic-affected 2021 and represents a 90.1 per cent recovery compared with 75,379 students in 2019.

As well as the in-person students, IEPs also delivered training to a further 2,089 students online, IIE said.

Student weeks: There were 757,712 student weeks delivered at IEPs in the USA in 2023, a 13.1 per cent increased compared with the previous year and a 72.7 per cent recovery against the 2019 benchmark of 1,041,553 weeks.

The trajectory of enrolment at IEPs in the USA. Source – IIE

This equated to an average stay of 11.2 weeks, slightly higher than the 10.4 weeks recorded in 2022 but below the pre-pandemic average of 13.8 in 2019.

Source countries: Japan was the top source market with 10,987 students, a 4.7 per cent increase compared with the previous year and accounted for 16 per cent of all IEP students enrolled – more than double the share of the next larger sender.

A recent member survey by Japanese agency association JAOS  showed that the USA has regained its position as the most popular destination for clients of members, particularly for short-term language study, as well as high school and undergraduate programs.

France was the second-largest source market with 5,186 students, a 10.6 per cent decrease compared with 2022. The top five was completed by Brazil (4,783 students, +6.7 per cent); China (3,982 students, -23.2 per cent) and Italy (3,653 students, +6.1 per cent).

Taiwan was a major growth market in 2023 with an increase of 127.2 per cent to 2,606 students, making it the eighth-largest sender. Vietnam (+74.7 per cent to 1,325 students) and India (+43.2 per cent to 1,064) also registered large year-on-year increases.

The change in market share of students at IEPs by region. Source – IIE.

Students by region: The share of European students at IEPs has significantly increased from seven per cent in 2015 and 10 per cent market share in 2019 to 29 per cent last year. Latin America has also increased share from 15 per cent in 2015 to 22 per cent last year.

Asia remains the largest source region on 38 per cent, but down from 54 per cent in 2019. The share of the Middle East has declined from 36 per cent in 2015 to just eight per cent last year, a fall largely attributed to changes in Saudi Arabia’s scholarship scheme.

Host states: By state, California was the largest host with 15,937 students, followed by New York (11,917), Florida (7,463), Massachusetts (5,994) and Hawaii (3,333).

Visa status: The authors found that 55 per cent of students at IEPs were enrolled on an F student visa, while 38 per cent had B visitor visas, five per cent came on J exchange visas, and the remaining two per cent had other visa types.

Intensive English Program profile: Looking at institution types, 50 per cent of students were enrolled with an independent provider not affiliated with a higher education institution, 40 per cent were at a university-governed IEP, and the remaining 10 per cent studied at an independent provider affiliated with a higher education institution.

Private providers were far more likely to host students on visitor visas, with this cohort accounting for 62 per cent of enrolments, compared with only 17 per cent at higher education institution-affiliated providers.

Based on a survey of students, the authors found that 27.6 per cent of IEP students intended to continue onto further studies in the USA. Again, this was differentiated by institution type, with 42 per cent of students at HEI-affiliated schools intending further study, compared with 11 per cent at non-affiliated institutions.