Prime Highlights

• China hosted 380,000 international students in the 2024–2025 academic year.
• Engineering was the most popular subject among international students.

Key Facts

• Students came from 191 countries and regions worldwide.
• Degree-seeking international students totalled 205,000 in China.

Background

China hosted 380,000 international students from 191 countries and regions during the 2024–2025 academic year, showing that the country has recovered from its previous status and now attracts international students as a worldwide higher education hub.

The figures were released at the 2026 China Study Abroad Forum in Beijing by an official from the Ministry of Education’s Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges.

Government scholarship recipients accounted for around 8 percent of the total international student population. Asian students made up the largest group of the student body with 61.1 percent, while African students constituted 16.2 percent and European students accounted for 15.6 percent of the total student body. Students from the Americas and Oceania together represented 7.1 percent.

Among the total international student body, 205,000 were degree-seeking students, with postgraduate students accounting for 35 percent of that segment.

Engineering emerged as the most popular field of study, attracting 27.8 percent of degree-seeking international students.

Chinese education officials said the figures indicate that the country’s international education sector continues to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. They added that student diversity has increased, postgraduate enrollment has grown, and academic programme choices are becoming more aligned with market demand.

The China Study Abroad Forum, held annually since 2004, serves as a platform for international education dialogue and cooperation between China and global academic institutions.