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2020 featured the largest single-year decline in the US Intensive English Program’s (IEP) history. There was an increase of 5% in IEPs across the US last year, with just over 39,000 students enrolled in IEPs across the US in 2021, compared to just under 37,500 in 2020. 

Recently released data from the Institute for International Education (IIE) Open Doors report sheds light on how IEP students in the US were impacted after COVID-19.¹ Let’s take a look at how the sector has changed since 2020, where international language students are coming from, and what the future holds for the industry.

The Increase of US Programs

The IEP sector in the US had a challenging year in 2020, as did language programs across the globe. In 2021, the sector rebounded from the decline in 2020, although numbers still remain down from pre-pandemic numbers. 

The following graph shows international IEP enrollment in the US over the past 10 years:

At the end of 2021, we predicted that IEP enrollment numbers would rise in 2022 and beyond. There were nearly 40,000 international IEP students studying at 330 US programs last year, despite several resurgent waves of COVID-19. As more countries gain access to vaccines and open their borders this year and beyond, our prediction about the recovery of IEPs in 2022 remains on track.

In 2020, 54% of 2020 IEP students indicated they intended to enroll in additional, non-IEP study in the US. In 2021, this number dropped by 22 percentage points.

However, 2021 was a beacon of hope for the future of IEPs in the US. Following a seven-year decline in IEP students in the US, we saw the first positive change in IEP student enrollment since 2015. 

With more than 39,300 international IEP students studying at 330 US programs, a strong recovery is promising. However, in order for IEPs to continue to trend upwards, the US will need to continue to work on rebuilding its reputation as a welcoming destination for international students. Following several unfriendly policies enacted by the Trump administration that placed certain restrictions on international students, many students were deterred from studying abroad during the pandemic.

The Development of the Top International Student Markets for US IEPs

In the past few years, IEPs were filled by a balanced variety of source markets. The chart below captures the evolution of the IEP sector in the US from 2011-2021:

Japan took the top spot in 2021 with just under 4,300 students enrolled in IEP students last year. Japan has ranked in the top three countries of origin for IEPs in the US since 2015, behind China and Saudi Arabia. After holding the #1 spot since 2016, China’s decline in IEPs led Japan to jump up in ranks to take China’s place. 

After ranking as the top source market for IEP students since 2016, China saw a decline in IEP students of almost 59% from 2020 to 2021. This accounted for only 10% of all enrollments in 2021, compared to nearly 25% in 2020. This was nearly a 15 percentage point decrease in the overall number of IEP students, with a decline of just over 5,300 students.

See what China’s dominance means for the future of the US’s international education sector.

The Global Reach of IEPs

Students from over 100 countries were enrolled in US IEPs in 2021. Despite the global popularity of learning English in the US, the distribution of IEP students was more dispersed than last year:

The top five places of origin accounted for 71% of all students in 2020, whereas in 2021 the top five accounted for just under 40%. This is partly a result of the 15 percentage point drop in China’s enrollment rates, as well as restricted mobility across all markets due to the pandemic.

In 2021, 40% of IEP students came from Japan (11%), China (10%), France (7%), Saudi Arabia (7%), and Mexico (6%). The number of enrolled students for the top 25 countries of origin in 2021 grew by an average of nearly six times compared to 2020.

France and Mexico both saw notable increases in IEP students in 2021. The number of IEPs from France increased by over eight times in 2021, with 2,400 more IEPs in 2021 compared to 2020. Mexico nearly tripled in the total number of IEP students, increasing from almost 800 students to just under 2,300.

It’s also worth noting that the 1,400 German students enrolled in IEPs in 2021 represented a year-over-year growth of 690%. 

IEP Student Enrolment by State

Following a steep drop in the number of students enrolled in IEPs in 2020, many US states were motivated to try new approaches to attract international students to the US. IEP programs were encouraged to consider offering blended learning approaches for students, and communicate the benefits that come with studying English in the US.

The chart below highlights the top 5 destination states for IEP student enrollment: 

California remained the most popular state for IEP enrollment in 2021, attracting more than 9,000 IEP students last year.

Following California, New York attracted just under 7,000 IEP students in 2021. This nearly doubled The Empire State’s IEP enrollment from the previous year. 

Rounding out the top three states, Florida also grew significantly in 2021. IEP enrollment in The Sunshine State increased by almost 1,200 students last year, bringing the total enrollment to just under 4,000.

Looking Forward

In 2020, 90% of IEPs indicated that COVID-19 adversely impacted their program. This increased to 99% in 2021. In 2021, the majority of IEPs have returned to in-person instruction, which was not an option for students during the pandemic. Nearly 80% of IEP students reported that in-person was the primary mode of study in fall 2021, increasing by nearly 20 percentage points from fall 2020. 

Meanwhile, the number of students online dropped significantly, with only one in 10 students reporting online instruction the main mode of instruction in fall 2021, falling from the pandemic high of nearly 90% of students. 

Despite a series of challenges for IEPs in the United States in 2020, data points toward a bright future for this industry. The recent growth in this sector in 2021 has put IEP students back on track for a strong rebound, following its largest single-year decline in 2020, with 32% of students indicating that they intend to pursue non-IEP study at US institutions in the future in 2021.

IEPs hoping to leverage this resurgence and capitalize on these market trends should make an effort to:

• Leverage new travel policies and in-person opportunities for students to experience US culture on campus.
• Consider offering blended learning approaches for students who wish to learn on campus but from a remote location.
• Continue to build relationships with forward-thinking institutions in growing student markets in an effort to offer US cultural experiences in other countries.
• Communicate any secondary benefits that come with studying English in the US, such as future education and post-graduate work opportunities through the OPT program.

About the ApplyInsights Team