Saudi Arabia vs United States: Share of students from abroad
Saudi Arabia
5.7%
in 2024
United States
5.3%
in 2023
Saudi Arabia rank
62nd
United States rank
64th
Share of students from abroad over time
- Saudi Arabia
- United States
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 5.7% against 5.3% in United States, a difference of 0.4%.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1999 it was United States ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 62nd and United States ranks 64th of 134 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.6% | 3.3% | 1.6% | United States |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 3.5% | 1.3% | United States |
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.8% | 0.1% | United States |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 4.9% | 0.7% | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of students from abroad, Saudi Arabia or United States?
- Saudi Arabia, at 5.7% against 5.3% in United States as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of students from abroad between Saudi Arabia and United States?
- 0.4%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and United States?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2022.
- How do Saudi Arabia and United States rank globally for share of students from abroad?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 62nd and United States ranks 64th of 134 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of students from abroad. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
International students as a share of the country's overall tertiary enrollment. International students are those who move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.