Amid visa restrictions and budget cuts in US universities, the new Open Doors Report 2025 shows that international students in the United States are gathering at a small number of universities.
The interest in STEM subjects continues to shape overall demand; however, the data makes it clear how concentrated these students are across a few major campuses.
NYU, Northeastern, and Columbia lead the chart
New York University is at the very top, hosting 27,532 international students in 2024/25. It remains “the single-largest host of international students in the United States,” holding this position for several years.
Northeastern University comes next with 22,465 international students, closely followed by Columbia University with 20,733. These universities have become strong global hubs and continue to attract students from around the world every year.
Other large universities such as Arizona State University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, UC San Diego, Penn State University, Purdue University, the University of Southern California, and the University of Michigan Ann Arbor also feature prominently.
Their massive campuses, wide academic choices, and strong STEM departments ensure they draw diverse student groups from abroad.
Private and public universities share the spotlight
The top 10 list is a balanced mix of private research universities and big public institutions. Private universities like NYU, Northeastern, Columbia, and USC remain popular due to their global reputation and career-focused programs.
Public universities such as ASU, UIUC, UC San Diego, Purdue, Penn State, and Michigan show how large-scale operations and broader affordability help them host tens of thousands of international students.
Among the Ivy League, only Columbia University appears in the top 10. Even though Ivy League schools remain prestigious, they simply enroll fewer students overall.
Their smaller size and selective structure prevent them from hosting the massive numbers seen at large public universities.
Columbia’s strong standing, however, confirms that Ivy League education continues to have global appeal.
India dominates as the leading source of students
When looking at where international students come from, India stands out as the clear leader, contributing 363,019 of the roughly 1,177,766 total international students in the US in 2024/25.
That means nearly a third of all international students come from India. This growth is driven by strong interest in graduate STEM and professional programs, as well as expanded recruitment by Indian schools and colleges.
China remains the second-largest source country, with 265,919 students, though its growth has slowed in recent years.
Meanwhile, several other countries, previously smaller sources are now seeing rapid increases.
For example, Vietnam sent 29,584 students, Nepal sent 27,022, Nigeria 24,267, Taiwan 21,843, and Bangladesh 20,156. Canada and South Korea continue to send steady numbers, with 29,205 and 26,293 respectively.
