On November 18th, 2024, representatives from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and the Institute of International Education (IIE) released the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange.
Overall Trends in International Education
International Students in the U.S.
The Open Doors Report reveals a promising recovery in international student mobility following the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023-2024 academic year marked an all-time high of 1.12 million international students, representing 210 countries, studying in the United States, an increase of 7%.
The United States continues to be a favored destination, though other countries like the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Germany are gaining popularity due to favorable visa policies and post-graduation work opportunities. STEM fields remain dominant, but there’s notable interest in business, healthcare, and social sciences. Emerging trends include short-term programs, online learning, and hybrid models.
Focus on Latin America & the Caribbean (LAC)
| In 2023-2024, 114,889 international students from the Western Hemisphere studied in the United States (a 4.6% annual increase), representing 10.2% of all international students in the country.
Top sending countries from the Western Hemisphere (2023-2024):
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During 2022-2023, 31,643 U.S. students (representing 11.3% of all U.S. study abroad) studied abroad in the Western Hemisphere – this is nearly a 58% annual increase!
Top receiving countries in the Western Hemisphere (2022-2023):
- Costa Rica: 6,558 (38% increase)
- Mexico: 4,339 (53.2% increase)
- Ecuador: 2,692 (17.9% increase)
- Argentina: 2,503 (140.4% increase)
- Belize: 1,799 (85.5% increase)
- Chile: 1,707 (135.1% increase)
Regional Educational Collaborations
Collaborations between LAC countries and global universities are thriving, focusing on research exchanges, dual degree programs, and joint academic initiatives. Interest in study abroad opportunities remain, as Latin American and the Caribbean students, for instance, are pursuing education abroad at an increasing rate, particularly in the U.S., Spain, and Canada. To support this mobility, many Latin American governments and organizations offer scholarships to mitigate financial barriers. Notable programs include MEXPROTEC between Mexico and France or Canada’s Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP), which emphasize strengthening academic and research ties between institutions in the region. These partnerships are often driven by a shared interest in technology, sustainable development, and innovation.
100,000 Strong in the Americas (100K Strong) is a hemisphere-wide initiative that catalyzes inter-regional partnerships to expand education cooperation, build institutional capacity, and increase access to innovative, inclusive student exchange and training programs in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2014, 100K Strong has awarded 345 grants to 607 higher education institutions (HEIs) in 26 countries and 49 U.S. states, engaging over 10,000 students and faculty. To date, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Guatemala, and Costa Rica are the leading 100K Strong grant-recipient countries to partner with U.S. colleges/universities to create and implement inclusive student and faculty exchange programs.
The Open Doors Report shows Colombia’s significant growth in international education, with an 11.3% increase since the previous year. This reflects the 100K Strong experience, as Colombia has become the leading country in the Western Hemisphere to receive 100K Strong grants. This is due to strategic collaborations and partnerships with the U.S. Department of State and the Colombian government, including the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Technology, the Institute of Educational Credit and Training Abroad (ICETEX), and National Training Service (SENA), over the past decade to support HEIs in Colombia and the U.S. to create new models of bilateral student and faculty exchange, training, and research programs between the two countries.
Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the overall growth in student mobility between the U.S. and Latin American & the Caribbean, students continue to face several challenges to study abroad, including language barriers, visa and immigration hurdles, and financial constraints. However, opportunities abound through government initiatives, technological advancements, and collaborative programs.
100K Strong, for instance, aims to remove traditional institutional barriers—that prevent administrators and faculty from developing unique partnerships and students from pursuing education opportunities overseas across the Americas—through a grant making approach that promotes institutional change. Through grant competitions, 100K Strong challenges and offers incentives to HEIs to form robust and enduring public-private partnerships to address the various structural and systemic barriers. Institutions have thus used 100K grants as an opportunity to develop new study abroad models, test a range of strategies and structures to expand student mobility, or explore ways to modernize their internal study abroad processes and improve services for international students and those who want to study abroad. Examples include introducing language proficiency courses or establishing partnerships that enable them to secure funding for their students to pursue study opportunities abroad, among others.
Impact of Global Events
Global events like the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly impacted student mobility. The pivot to online learning has become a necessity, but as the world adapts, hybrid education models are gaining traction, offering flexibility and affordability. Geopolitical factors and economic challenges also influence Latin American students’ choices, making international education a pathway to better career prospects.
Key Takeaways for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) from Open Doors® 2024 Annual Report
- International Student Trends: A 7% increase in international student numbers in the U.S. presents opportunities for LAC representation. Graduate programs saw an 8% rise.
- Opportunities in Practical Training: The Optional Practical Training (OPT) program grew by 22%, offering Latin American students practical experience in the U.S. workforce.
- Trends in Education Types: An increase in enrollment at Associate’s colleges offers an accessible entry point for Latin American students.
- Study Abroad Opportunities: With a 57.7% increase in U.S. students studying abroad in LAC countries, there’s more potential for growth. Costa Rica, Mexico, and Argentina are popular destinations.
- Strategic Initiatives: Encouraging STEM fields and expanding online learning opportunities can further enhance educational exchanges between Latin America and the U.S.
In 2023/2024, most international students studied in STEM fields (56%), and math and computer science continued to grow as the leading field. One in four (25%) studied math and computer science, while nearly one in five (19%) studied engineering. Other popular fields include business and management (14%), physical and life sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), and the fine and applied arts (5%). The most popular majors for students can vary by place of origin.
As Secretary Blinken remarked:
“International education also makes our country stronger. It fuels our economy, with international students contributing over $50 billion to our communities last year and supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs. It brings new ideas to American universities, laboratories, and businesses. It helps people around the world better understand America and our values.”
The 100K Strong initiative reflects this very belief, as we continually partner with regional governments, foundations, NGOs, and the academic sector to support HEIs throughout the region to design and implement innovative, inclusive educational exchanges and training programs. Through these funded programs, teams of HEIs work together to promote the exchange of best practices and knowledge in international education and training students to solve real-world issues and gain technical, linguistic, and intercultural skills imperative to lead in a 21st century climate-positive workforce.
As the global landscape of international education continues to evolve, 100K Strong remains committed to enhancing educational exchanges, expanding opportunities for Western Hemisphere students, and fostering international collaboration. Utilizing insights from the Open Doors Report, we continue to explore the current trends, collaborations, challenges, and impacts of global events on international education, with a particular focus on the Americas. As global trends and events continue to shape the education landscape, we remain steadfast in supporting education throughout the Americas and its role in building a more inclusive and interconnected world. To learn more about 100K Strong, please visit https://www.100kstrongamericas.org.
To learn more about the open doors annual data release, please visit Open Doors official website and 100,000 Strong in the Americas