U.S. Sees 5.3% Rise in International Student Enrollment, ICE's SEVP Report Highlights Contributions to Higher Education and Workforce

The latest annual report on international students studying in the United States has been released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), revealing an upward trend in the number of foreign students. According to ICE, the 2024 SEVP report dissects the data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), showcasing a 5.3 percent increase in active F-1 and M-1 student records, from the 2023 calendar year.

Representing over 229 countries and territories, the total number of foreign students tallied at 1,582,808 for the 2024 year. Asia led the charge with 71.7 percent of the active foreign student records in the United States, boasting 1,134,953 students. India, with 422,335 students, saw its numbers swell by 11.8 percent from the previous year while China, housing 329,541 students, experienced a modest decrease of 0.25 percent. California and New York, respectively, remained the top states with the most significant foreign student populations, enrolling 237,763 and 172,522 students each.

Highly pursuing higher education, approximately 91 percent of these foreign students were found enrolled in SEVP-certified associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs. In fact, 1,434,748 degrees in higher education were sought after by foreign students last year—marking an increase of nearly 82,000 from 2023. It was reported that at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels, 79 percent of the degrees pursued accounted for this substantial portion, as detailed by the ICE website.

The report also registered a decline in the number of SEVP-certified schools, now standing at 7,234 compared to 7,683 in 2023. On the employment front, 381,140 unique foreign student SEVIS records received work authorization through various practical training forms in 2024. Parsing these numbers, 194,554 were approved through optional practical training (OPT), 95,384 through STEM OPT, and 130,586 through curricular practical training (CPT), without removing duplicates, as some foreign students might be enjoying more than one work authorization in a year, as reported by ICE.

Further insights into the labor force contributions of these students were gleaned from the compilation of top 25 employers for individuals participating in OPT, STEM OPT, and CPT programs. While the full report detailing the numerous facets of the 2024 foreign student demographics and their academic pursuits in the U.S. can be viewed online, it's worth noting that SEVP, alongside the Department of State, utilizes SEVIS to maintain critical information necessary for national security and the monitoring of international students and exchange visitors. As part of their continuous oversight, ICE reviews SEVIS records for potential violations, referring any cases with possible national security concerns to its field offices for further investigation.