Top African Countries with the Most Students in the US (2020-2024)

Key Takeaways

  • Nigeria remained the top African country for students in the U.S., with 20,029 students enrolled in the 2023/2024 academic year, marking a 13.5% increase from the previous year.
  • Ghana saw the highest growth rate among African nations, with a 45% increase in students, totaling 9,394 in the U.S. during the 2023/2024 academic year.
  • These countries collectively contributed significantly, with 4,507 (Kenya), 3,078 (Ethiopia), and 2,814 (South Africa) students studying in the U.S. during 2023/2024.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa was the fastest-growing region for international student mobility to the U.S., experiencing a 13% overall increase in the 2023/2024 academic year.
  • In the 2020/2021 academic year, Nigeria had 12,900 students, Ghana had 4,200, and Kenya had 3,500 students enrolled in U.S. institutions.

Over the past two decades, more African students have been enrolling in higher education institutions within the United States at an extremely high rate. In the 2023/2024 academic year, more than 56,780 students from Africa were enrolled in U.S. institutions—a number significantly higher than in previous years. This upward trend is catalyzed by factors such as economic growth in African countries, increased access to scholarships, and growing recognition of the value of US-based education.

Here’s a detailed table summarizing the trends of the top African countries by number of citizens studying in the US from 2000-2024:

Period Top countries by number of students Key trends
2000-2010 Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana There was a gradual increase in African students pursuing higher education in the United States.
2010-2015 Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana Stronger bilateral relationships, active recruitment by U.S. universities, and perceived quality of U.S. higher education played major determining roles.
2015-2020 Nigeria, Ethiopia, and South Africa The number of African students reached a new high and diversified in origin. The improvements were largely motivated by increased scholarships available, political stability in some parts, and also the global acknowledgment of U.S. degrees.
2021-2024 Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya Resilient aspirations to get educated, and increased adoption of remote learning, combined with the scholarships issued, have sustained mobilities in student exchange during that time.

Trends of the top african countries by number of citizens studying in the US from 2000-2024

2000-2010: Steady growth in african student enrollment

African students in the United States increased by 80%, from approximately 20,000 in 2000 to 36,000 in 2010. Nigeria was consistently the top country, with 7,000 students in 2000 and 13,000 by 2010. 

Ghana and Kenya also had notable increases, with Ghana moving from 2,000 to 4,000 and Kenya from 1,500 to 3,000. This period was characterized by a steady upward trend in African student enrollment.

2011-2015: continued expansion amid global challenges

Between 2011 and 2015, the number of African students in the U.S. continued to increase, reaching about 45,000 by 2015. Nigeria continued to lead the list with 15,000 students, while Ghana and Kenya continued to grow with 5,000 and 4,000 students, respectively. 

Despite the global economic challenges, this period saw a 25% growth in African student enrollment in the United States.

2016-2020: accelerated growth and diversification

From 2016 to 2020, the number of African students enrolled in the U.S. surged to over 55,000, representing a 22% increase from the previous period. Nigerian enrollment reached 18,000, while Ghana and Kenya enrolled 6,000 and 5,000, respectively. This period was marked by accelerated growth and diversification in the countries of origin.

2021-2024: resilience amidst global challenges

From 2021 to 2024, African student enrollment in the U.S. remained strong, with numbers leveling off around 56,000. Nigeria was the leading country with 20,000 students, followed by Ghana and Kenya, with about 9,000 and 4,000 students, respectively. This period showed resilience in African student enrollment despite global challenges.

Conclusion

From 2000 to 2024, the enrollment in U.S. higher education institutions for African students continued to rise. In 2000, about 20,000 African students were enrolled. The leading enrollments came from Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya. This would increase by about 80%, to about 36,000, by 2010. The succeeding decades further developed this growth and increased it past 56,000 students enrolled by 2024. In this respect, U.S. education demonstrates growing importance across African nations.

Source:

Open Doors Data

Period:

2020
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