If you are an international student, look around and think about which countries your friends are from. Statistics show that it is highly likely that your international friends are from one of these countries-China, India, and South Korea. When it comes to international education, China, India, and South Korea have been the top 3 sending countries for decades. The most recent data as of January 2021 -SEVP’s 2019 All Countries of Citizenship by Number of Active SEVIS Records -show that more than 50% of students are from these top 3 countries as well. However, it gets interesting to see the differences, when you look at OPT and STEM OPT approved students by their citizenships.
In this blog post, the top 10 sending countries by the number of international students and top 10 countries by the number of students who got STEM OPT approved will be listed. By looking at the numbers, you will learn how many students were CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT approved in general. In addition, you will see country-specific information such as which nationalities tend to apply for STEM OPT programs. For students who would like to check out the top 10 U.S. colleges and universities by the number of enrolled international students as well as the top 10 U.S. employers by the number of hired international students, the related blog posts will be provided at the end of the blog.
Contents
- Top 10 countries by the number of international students
- Top 10 countries by the number of students who got STEM OPT approved
- Top 10 CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT employers
Top 10 countries by the number of international students
As I mentioned above, Chinese students consist of the largest international student body (approximately 30%) in the United States. Indian students are the second-largest which comprises around 16% of the total number of international students in the States. Slightly less than 85,000 students are from South Korea which is around 6% of the entire international student body.
Besides the top 3 countries, students from Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Canada make up around 3% respectively, followed by Japanese, Vietnamese and Taiwanese students who compose around 2% of the entire international student body in the U.S.
| Country of Citizenship | Total SEVIS IDs in 2019 | % of students |
|---|---|---|
| China | 474,497 | 31% |
| India | 249,221 | 16% |
| South Korea | 84,071 | 6% |
| Saudi Arabia | 53,283 | 3% |
| Brazil | 41,233 | 3% |
| Canada | 38,983 | 3% |
| Japan | 37,196 | 2% |
| Vietnam | 36,815 | 2% |
| Taiwan | 32,000 | 2% |
| Mexico | 19,517 | 1% |
Top 10 countries by the number of students who got STEM OPT approved
Since SEVP Data Library doesn’t provide a number of OPT students by country, this blog post will only look at the number of STEM OPT approved students by country. Before I jump right into the number of students who were authorized for STEM OPT, let’s have a look at the total number of international students who were authorized for CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT programs:
- CPT: 125,609
- OPT: 275,237
- STEM OPT: 135,960
Given that the total SEVID IDs (enrolled international students) in 2019 is 1,523,758, it can be calculated that 8% of international students took a chance to do internships in the U.S. In the same light, 18% of international students were approved for OPT and around 9% of F-1 visa students participated in the STEM OPT program.
In terms of the STEM OPT participation, the largest group of STEM OPT approved students were from India. Compare to Indian students, only 6% and 3% of the entire Chinese and Korean students body respectively engaged in the STEM OPT work employment. Other than Indian students, more than 10% of Nepal, Iran, and Bangladesh nationals engaged in employments through the STEM OPT program.
Although this report can be interpreted in many different ways, it shows that Indian students tend to major in one of the STEM fields and they prefer to stay and work in the United States through the STEM OPT program. Along with Canadian and Vietnamese students, South Korean students show less tendency to work and stay in the United States through the STEM OPT program.
| Country of Citizenship | SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in STEM OPT in 2019 | % of STEM OPT students among the total # of students from each country |
|---|---|---|
| India | 77,714 | 31% |
| China | 30,341 | 6% |
| South Korea | 2,561 | 3% |
| Taiwan | 2,032 | 6% |
| Nepal | 1,813 | 11% |
| Iran | 1,425 | 11% |
| Nigeria | 1,336 | 7% |
| Bangladesh | 1,036 | 10% |
| Canada | 985 | 3% |
| Vietnam | 890 | 2% |
To learn more about the STEM OPT eligibility, process and important reporting requirements as well as STEM OPT-related case studies, click the following related blog posts.
Related blog post 1: STEM OPT eligibility, process, required documents
Related blog post 2: 2020 STEM CIP CODE; If my major is newly added, can I apply for STEM OPT?
Related blog post 3: My STEM OPT is in pending and my EAD end date is near
Related blog post 4: Important STEM OPT reporting requirements
Top 10 CPT, OPT, and STEM OPT employers
Below is the list of related blog posts based on the official reports by SEVP Data Library. Check out each article to get to know more about interesting facts regarding the international students in the United States.
Related blog post 1: 2021 Top 10 employers for OPT, STEM OPT students
Related blog post 2: 2021 Top 10 employers for CPT students
Related blog post 3: Top 20 US college and university by number of F visa students
Related blog post 4: 2020 Top 10 most read posts by students study in the USA
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