Record number of Ghanaians studying in the United States; new report shows more than 30% growth over last year

Increasingly large numbers of Ghanaian students are choosing the United States as their undergraduate and graduate study destination of choice, according to the 2023 Open Doors Report published today.  More than 6,400 Ghanaian students studied in the United States in the 2022-2023 academic year, representing a 31 percent jump over the last academic year.  The Open Doors Report is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), analyzing the number of international students in the United States.

“U.S. colleges and universities offer world-class educational opportunities and Ghanaian students in the United States are deepening the ties of friendship, family, and business between our countries.  We are so happy to see Ghanaians seeking to learn, develop their skills, and return to Ghana to benefit their communities,” said U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer.

Ghana is now in the top 25 countries worldwide for sending students to the United States.  According to the 2023 Open Doors Report, a total of 6,468 Ghanaians studied in the United States in 2022-2023 – an increase of 31.6 percent and an all-time record.  Ghanaians in graduate degree programs totaled 4,140, a 38 percent increase over last year, making Ghana the 14th largest sender of graduate students to the United States.  Last year, Ghanaian students earned nearly $9 million in scholarships to more than 700 higher educational institutions in all 50 states.  To help meet the growing demand, the U.S. Embassy processed a record number of student visa cases in the last fiscal year.

The United States remains the top destination for international students with over one million (1,057,188) international students in academic year 2022-2023, which is a 12 percent increase over the previous year.  The majority of international students in the United States study in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields; math and computer science continued to grow as the leading field of study for international students in 2022/23.

This year, U.S. Embassy Ghana hosted the two largest EducationUSA college fairs ever held in Ghana in Accra and Kumasi, which attracted more than 13,000 students, parents, and academic professionals.

The U.S. Embassy guides qualified individuals to be successful applicants to U.S. colleges and universities through EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State’s network of education advisers.  Ghana currently has two EducationUSA Advising Centers at the U.S. Embassy in Accra and at ACE Consult in Asokwa, Kumasi.  EducationUSA Advisors work with students in-person and virtually to enhance understanding of the college or university application process to be successful applicants.  Over the last year, EducationUSA advisers from the Accra and Kumasi- based centers helped thousands of Ghanaian students apply for admissions to hundreds of accredited U.S. institutions of higher learning.