By the numbers: The overall number of Chinese students, including those enrolled at U.S. higher
The majority of international students studying in the United States are originally from China and India, totaling 290,086 students and 199,182 students respectively in the 2021/22 school year.
China has long been the driver of enrolment growth in the US. But, as we see in the table below, the number of Chinese student with active visas has declined from 368,800 in January 2020 to 262,992 as of January 2023 (a nearly -29% decrease).
How many Chinese students study abroad each year? According to 2019 data, over 700,000 Chinese students went abroad for their higher education.
Australia's education sector, which generated A$39 billion ($27.66 billion) in export earnings before the pandemic, has strong ties to China, with roughly 150,000 nationals enrolled in Australian universities.
Enrolments by nationality
Of overseas student enrolments in 2020, 38.4 per cent (160,430) were from China, and 19.0 per cent (79,410) were from India, with the remaining top ten nationalities being Nepal, Vietnam, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The top five countries of origin for international students in Australia in 2022, were China (155,348 students), followed by India (99,739), Nepal (56,847) Vietnam (22,396), and Colombia (21,836).
New York University serves over 21,000 international learners hailing from more than 140 countries. For the 2021-2022 school year, NYU had the most international students of any university in the U.S.
Among the Ivies — a well-known and coveted group of schools even among many everyday Chinese — Columbia University has the largest number of Chinese students.
Harvard University is Extremely Popular With Chinese Students. An analysis of student visa data suggests that in 2020 as many as 398,041 Chinese students came to the U.S. to study at American colleges and universities. From this pool of 398,041, Harvard was home to approximately 1,378 Chinese students.
Studying abroad can offer a second chance
These students saw the opportunity to study at a U.S. college as a second chance to prove themselves. The Chinese education system, in contrast, doesn't give many second-chance opportunities. The college entrance examination — the Gaokao — takes place only once a year.
According to student statistics released by UK Higher Education for 2021/22, the highest number of international students in the UK belonged to China, with 151,690 students enrolled. Every year, thousands of Chinese students apply to study in the UK, thanks to the country's reputation as a global educational hub.
The United States leads the list of the countries with the most Chinese students, with a total of 340,222 students. Australia comes second among the countries with students from China, 155,594 students. 122,140 international students from China have chosen the United Kingdom to study abroad.
According to a report released on International student data, 567,947 international students are enrolled in Australia. 45.8% are studying at higher education level (HET), 24.2% VET, and 16.4% ELICOS courses for English language intensive learners from overseas (ELICOS).
Despite these efforts, the vast majority of U.S.-trained Chinese Ph. D. holders have remained stateside — some 50,000 since 2000.
Rich Cultural Diversity
With so many different international students and residents, the US is one of the best destinations in the world to experience cultural diversity. This exposure to global cultures is one of the key reasons why international students choose to study in the US.
Australia is a safe and welcoming study abroad destination. Australia is one of the most popular international destinations for Chinese students. Australian educational institutions are renowned worldwide for the quality of their teaching and research.
Trade and investment
China is Australia's largest two-way trading partner in goods and services, accounting for nearly one third (32.2 per cent) of our trade with the world.
At the end of June 2021, 595,630 Chinese-born people were living in Australia, 53.7 per cent more than the number (387,420) at 30 June 2011.
The major cities of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are popular choices for international students, while regional cities such as Wollongong, Hobart, Gold Coast, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra offer a more relaxed study experience.