Nigeria tops list of foreign students in USA, top 10 worldwide

Etim Ekpimah

In 2020/2021, the United States remains the top destination for international students, welcoming over 914,000 international students from over 200 places of origin according to the 2021 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, according to Open Doors report of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.

The report added that international students build life-long connections with Americans, their peers, host families, professors, and communities. These relationships help grow America’s international partnerships, forging ties that help the world collectively grapple with global challenges.

“The United States remained open and welcoming to international students, even throughout the pandemic. The U.S. Government and the U.S system of higher education have been flexible to safely welcome international students, providing opportunities and resources to students during a global crisis. These efforts exemplify our shared commitment to international student mobility and global higher education.

“The new report indicates there was a slight drop in the number of students from Nigeria currently studying in the United States, less than half the worldwide average decline. The current figure of 12,860 Nigerian students represents 33% of African students in the United States, making Nigeria both the leading source of students from the continent and 10th largest place of origin country worldwide.

“Nigerians are enrolled in more than 1,000 institutions in the United States, while students using EducationUSA Nigeria services recorded $28 million in scholarships and financial aid awarded to those admitted for the 2021 academic year,” the report, which was made available in a statement by USAID noted.

*Open Doors 2021, released today by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, highlights the U.S. higher education sector as a destination of choice for international students and the growing interest in international educational exchange among U.S. students.

*The release of the new Open Doors data marks the celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from other countries to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States. The Open Doors® report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.