WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 16, 2020— The 2020 Open Doors® Report on International Educational Exchange, released today, reveals that for the fifth consecutive year the United States hosted more than one million international students (1,075,496) during the 2019/2020 academic year. Despite a slight decline (1.8%) in the number of international students in the United States during the 2019/2020 academic year, this group still represents 5.5% of all students in U.S. higher education. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contributed $44 billion to the U.S. economy in 2019.
The 2020 Open Doors report, released by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), provides a critical baseline on the state of international educational exchange prior to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 2019/2020 academic year, the United States remained the top destination for international students. New international student enrollment continued to stabilize (-0.6%) and showed marked improvement from a 7% decline over the previous two years.
“We are encouraged to see a fifth year of more than one million international students in the United States before the pandemic,” said Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. “International student mobility is as important today as ever, and we believe the United States is the best destination for students to study and earn their degrees. Education is a pathway to a greater future and international educational exchange has the power to transform students’ trajectories.”
According to the 2020 Open Doors report, the total number of students from Uzbekistan in the United States is 546, with 50.5 percent enrolled at the undergraduate level, 31.5 percent at the graduate level, 11.5 percent pursuing optional practical training, and 6.4 percent in non-degree programs such as English language or short-term studies. This reflects a growing interest in American education among students in Uzbekistan. American higher education institutions are also showing increasing interest in recruiting students from Uzbekistan. Students who are interested in getting additional information on how to study in the United States should contact the EducationUSA representative in Uzbekistan by email: Tashkent@educationusa.org
Open Doors is a comprehensive information resource on international students studying at higher education institutions in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities. Open Doors also reports on the number of international scholars at U.S. universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs. Further details on the 2020 Open Doors findings are on the Open Doors website. For more data, infographics and resources visit https://opendoorsdata.org/.
To learn more about Open Doors, visit: https://opendoorsdata.org/.
To learn more about IIE’s Fall Snapshot Survey, visit: https://www.iie.org/Research-and-Insights/Open-Doors/Fall-International-Enrollments-Snapshot-Reports.
PRESS CONTACT:
Press Office, IIE: press@iie.org
Department of State: ECA-Press@state.gov
