plate 026 · Humanity

Indian students now outnumber Chinese students in the US

Students from India and China enrolled in US higher education, by academic year, 2000/01–2024/25.

363,019

Indian students in the US in 2024/25, a record and up 10% in a year.

−29%

Chinese students fell from a 372,532 peak (2019/20) to 265,919.

6.6×

India's count since 2000/01, when it sent 54,664 students.

Source Institute of International Education, Open Doors (2025 edition and earlier) ·Data 2000/01–2024/25 ·Fact
the numbers
Indian students now outnumber Chinese students in the US. Source: Institute of International Education, Open Doors (2025 edition and earlier), 2000/01–2024/25.
YearIndiaChina
200054,66459,939
200166,83663,211
200576,50362,582
200683,83367,723
2009104,897127,628
2010157,558
2011194,029
2013102,673
2015165,918328,547
2016186,267350,755
2017196,271363,341
2018202,014369,548
2019193,124372,532
2020167,582317,299
2021199,182290,086
2022268,923289,526
2023331,602277,398
2024363,019265,919
source notes & method

2015/16–2024/25 from Open Doors India and China fact sheets (2023, 2025); China 2000/01–2011/12 from IIE's China Open Doors 2012 fact sheet. India 2000/01–2001/02 via NRIOL, 2005/06 via Inside Higher Ed, 2006/07 via US Embassy London, 2009/10 via IEFA, 2013/14 via CFR, all quoting Open Doors. Years without a verified figure are left out (India 2010–12, 2014; China 2012–14). India led 2001/02–2008/09; China led 2009/10–2022/23; India again from 2023/24.

Published 9 Oct 2026

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