Report reveals Caribbean countries with highest US university enrollment

Leading Caribbean Countries

Jamaica led the Caribbean countries with the highest number of students in US universities, reaching 5,042 in 2023, up from 4,492 in 2022. The Bahamas followed with 4,751 students, an increase from 4,510 in 2022. Trinidad and Tobago had 1,977 students, up from 1,800 in 2022. Haiti was an exception, with a decrease to 1,240 students from 1,377 in 2022. Dominica saw a slight increase to 631 students from 628 in 2022, and Guyana had 550 students, up from 494 in 2022.

Grenada experienced the highest percentage increase, with a 15.9% rise, totaling 263 students in 2023, which is 36 more than in 2022.

Popular Areas of Study

According to the report, the most popular program of study for international students was Computer Science, with 108,438 enrollments. The top ten programs were:

1. Computer Science (108,438)
2. Second Language Learning (99,721)
3. Business Administration and Management, General (86,235)
4. Computer and Information Sciences, General (78,408)
5. Electrical and Electronics Engineering (37,322)
6. Management Science (35,270)
7. Mechanical Engineering (30,319)
8. Information Technology (28,881)
9. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics (27,899)
10. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other (27,249)

Least popular programs included Fashion/Apparel Design, Environmental Studies, Illustration, and Artificial Intelligence.

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Top Universities for International Students

The universities with the highest international student enrollments were:

1. New York University (24,921)
2. Northeastern University (23,711)
3. Columbia University (22,982)
4. University of Southern California (19,985)
5. Arizona State University (17,953)
6. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (16,418)
7. Boston University (15,930)
8. University of North Texas (13,082)
9. Purdue University (13,033)
10. University of Michigan (13,033)

Regional and Overall Trends

All four regions in the United States saw an increase in international student records from 2022 to 2023, with respective increases ranging from 5.7% to 13.4%. Despite this, the number of SEVP-certified schools eligible to enroll international students dropped by 266, from 7,683 schools in 2022 to 7,417 in 2023.

California hosted the largest number of international students, with 237,594, accounting for 15.8% of all international students in the US.

The total number of SEVIS records for active F-1 and M-1 students was 1,503,649 in 2023, with 122,101 international students participating in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) Optional Practical Training (OPT). Most students in STEM OPT were from India (39.1%) and China (23.7%).