International Higher Education students in USA contributed $40 billion in 2022/23

Value of students: The NAFSA Association of International Educators  International Student Economic Value Tool for 2022/23 shows that international students at higher education universities and colleges contributed US$40.1 billion, an increase of US$6.3 billion (19 per cent) compared to 2021/22.

The total falls just short of the record figure of US$40.6 billion in the 2018/19 academic year but was above the last pre-Covid year of 2019/2020.

The NAFSA International Student Economic Value Tool is an estimate on tuition fee income, accommodation costs and other student spending, and is based on the recently released Open Doors report, which showed that the USA hosted 1,057,188 students at universities and colleges in 2023/23.

Jobs supported: International students at US universities and colleges also supported some 368,333 jobs, NAFSA estimated, an increase of 9.8 per cent compared with the previous academic year. The organization said that for every three international students in the USA, one job is created or supported.

Impact by state: California had the highest contribution from international university and college students at US$6 billion, followed by New York on US$5.8 billion. The top five was completed by Massachusetts (US$3.6 billion), Texas (US$2.2 billion) and Illinois (US$2.1 billion), which leapfrogged Pennsylvania this year.

Nine states had an economic contribution from international students above US$1 billion in 2022/23, an increase of one over the previous year.

Calls for greater support: NAFSA welcomed the return to a US$40 billion economic impact for the sector, but said more could be done to support the recruitment and retention of international students.

“International students are essential to the exchange of ideas and intercultural understanding on our campuses, in our communities, and in our workplaces,” said Fanta Aw, NAFSA Executive Director and CEO. “They are at the heart of so many technological advances, research innovations, and successful start-up companies in this country. Their contributions to the U.S. economy are impressive and it is heartening to see an annual increase for the second year in a row. Yet we do not make it easy for international students to bring their talents here. We must do more by advancing a national strategy for international education.”

NAFSA recently joined forces with 10 partner organizations to launch the U.S. for Success Coalition, aiming to create a coordinated lobbying voice for policies and practices that will boost the attractiveness of the USA.

NAFSA also provides estimates of the value of international students in other post-secondary sectors.

Community colleges: Contributions by international students at community colleges rebounded after four consecutive years of decline, and their impact was estimated at US$1.5 billion, an increase of 16.5 per cent compared with the previous year, supporting 6,620 jobs.

California had the largest contribution from international students.

College IEPs: International students at US college and university language programs contributed a further US$370 million – an increase of 53 per cent compared with the previous year – and supported 3,164 jobs. Despite the recovery last year, the contribution of international students at college IEPs remained some 47 per cent below the pre-pandemic 2019/20 academic year.