The United States is the leading destination for international students among countries covered in the OECD's Education at a Glance 2026 report, hosting approximately 1.01 million international tertiary students in 2024.
The United Kingdom followed with 721,000 students, while Australia hosted 580,000 and Germany 438,000. Canada reported approximately 481,000 international students, based on 2023 data.
These figures highlight the growing importance of international education and the countries attracting students from abroad.
Leading international student destinations among OECD-reporting countries. Visualization: The Data Visual.
International Students by Country: Rankings
Explore international student enrolment across 47 reporting countries, including the number of students hosted and the corresponding data year.
Source: OECD — Education at a Glance 2026, Table B4.3. Figures mainly refer to 2024.
More Students Doesn't Always Mean a Higher Share
The United States hosted the largest number of international students in the reported data, but they represented only 5% of its total tertiary enrolment.
In comparison, international students accounted for 32% of tertiary enrolment in Australia and 23% in the United Kingdom.
This reveals an important distinction: a country can host more international students overall while having a smaller international student share within its education system.
About the Data
The figures cover inbound international students enrolled in tertiary education and are rounded to the nearest 1,000 students.
Data mainly refer to 2024, except Canada, which reports 2023 figures. The ranking includes 47 countries with available data, not every country worldwide. China, Costa Rica and Indonesia have no reported inbound totals in this table.
OECD country definitions may differ, with some countries reporting foreign students rather than internationally mobile students.
The Data Visual — Facts. Data. Visualized.
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