NAFSA's latest analysis finds that international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $40.1 billion and supported 368,333 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2022-2023 academic year.
NAFSA conducts an annual state-by-state and congressional district analysis of the economic contributions of international students and their families to the U.S. economy.
The economic contributions of international students are in addition to the immeasurable academic and cultural value these students bring to our campuses and local communities.
International Student Stories
Learn what some of America’s best and brightest international students and scholars across the country are doing to create jobs, drive innovation, enrich our classrooms, and strengthen our national security.
-
Anna Aleksandra AugustowskaFrom PolandUniversity of ArizonaMeet Anna Aleksandra Augustowska. Her journalism degree from the University of Arizona gave her the tools she needed to inspire and educate her community through documentary storytelling. One of her documentaries was nominated for a 2015 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award.
-
Saad al-OmariFrom JordanCarroll UniversityMeet Saad al-Omari. Originally from Jordan, he earned a Masters degree in Software Engineering from Carroll University. Now, he works as a software engineer at TDS Telecom and volunteers his time preparing food in senior citizens and teaching Arabic at a public high school in Madison, Wisconsin.
-
Fangyi JiangFrom ChinaUniversity of Wisconsin-La CrosseMeet Fangyi Jiang. She was an active member of her community while earning her degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She helped a U.S.-based company expand into a new trade market, and is currently working towards completing her Master of Business Administration degree.
International Students at U.S. Community Colleges
NAFSA's latest analysis finds that international students studying at U.S. community colleges contributed $1.5 billion and supported 6,620 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2023 academic year.
View state-by-state data in detail
Overall, international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contribute $40.1 billion to the U.S. economy and support 368,333 jobs. NAFSA conducts an annual state-by-state and congressional district analysis of the economic contributions of international students and their families to the U.S. economy. The economic contributions of international students are in addition to the immeasurable academic and cultural value these students bring to our campuses and local communities.
International Students in U.S. College
and University English Language Programs
NAFSA's latest analysis finds that international students enrolled in English language programs at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $370 million and supported 3,164 jobs to the U.S. economy during the 2022-2023 academic year.
NAFSA Analysis: Methodology
Analysis produced for NAFSA by JB International.
International student enrollment data is provided by the Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State.
Tuition and living expense data, which is used to calculate the total amount of economic benefit, comes from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center of Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Data sets used to calculate the number of jobs created or supported comes from the U.S. Department of Commerce, specifically International Trade Administration and Bureau of Economic Analysis.
For a detailed discussion, see "The Economic Benefits of International Student Enrollment to the U.S. Economy."