The clearest cases
Three places where the pattern is not subtle. Each links to
the page that shows the workings.
National Graduate Education Overview
Aggregate data from NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, NSF Graduate Student Survey, and IPEDS
58,131
Doctorates Awarded (2024)
33.3%
Temporary Visa Holders (2024)
36.5%
S&E Foreign (Temp Visa, 2024)
314,569
Grad Students on a Temporary Visa (NSF GSS 2024)
38.5%
Their Share of All Grad Students (NSF GSS 2024)
6,756
Chinese Doctorate Recipients (2024)
Doctorate Trends, 1979-2024
Total doctorates awarded by citizenship status (NSF SED Table 1-6)
Source: NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates, Table 1-6
Foreign Share by STEM Field
% Non-Resident Alien enrollment (NSF GSS)
Source: NSF Graduate Students Survey, 2022
PhD Funding Sources
Primary financial support, all fields (NSF SED Table 4-1)
Source: NSF SED Table 4-1 (2024 doctorate recipients)
Top Source Countries for Temp Visa Doctorates
Total doctorates 2018-2024 and % intending to stay in U.S. (NSF SED Table 2-8)
Source: NSF SED Table 2-8
Work Authorization Pipeline: OPT, STEM OPT, and CPT
Annual authorizations with employment start dates. OPT grew 11x from 2007 to 2024. The 2016 STEM OPT 24-month extension rule dramatically expanded STEM work authorization. Source: ICE/SEVP SEVIS By the Numbers
269,323
Students Holding Any OPT (2024)
95,384
STEM OPT Extensions (2024)
130,586
CPT Authorizations (2024)
Source: ICE/SEVP — Total Number Annual OPT, STEM OPT, CPT Authorizations CY2007-2024
Top 50 Universities by NRA Graduate Enrollment
IPEDS Fall 2022 graduate enrollment. Click column headers to sort.
Source: IPEDS Fall 2022 Enrollment