More Ghanaian Students Pick the United States for Higher Education

Ghanaian students studied at 700 U.S. colleges and universities in all 50 U.S. states in 2021-2022

Ghanaian students continue to choose the United States as a top destination for higher education.  The 2022 Open Doors Report released today confirms that 4,916 Ghanaian students studied at U.S. colleges and universities during the most recent (2021-2022) academic year.  This represents a 16 percent increase over the previous year and continues a long-term growth trend among Ghanaian students.

“U.S. higher educational institutions offer world-class learning experiences.  Our team has worked hard to help students with the application, admission, and visa process this year.  We are so proud that more Ghanaian students are choosing the United States,” said U.S. Ambassador to Ghana Virginia Palmer.

Ghanaian students studied at 700 U.S. colleges and universities in all 50 U.S. states in 2021-2022.  Among Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana sends the second-highest number of students (second only to Nigeria).  Ghana also now ranks 18^th in the world for countries sending students to the United States for graduate programs.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, new international student enrollment in the United States rebounded this year – the total number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions increased four percent.  The United States remains the top destination for international education with over 948,000 students enrolled. The U.S. Embassy processed more than 7,000 student visa cases in the last fiscal year – breaking all previous records

Ghanaian student Philip De-Graft, a freshman at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, is a member of the school’s Presidential and Bonner Scholar programs.  Philip is the first person in his family to attend university.  “EducationUSA provided me with reliable information and helped me to select my best fit institution.  From test preparation to essay review, to the visa process and pre-departure orientation, we had a great relationship.  Even after helping me land a full scholarship, EducationUSA’s Opportunity Fund Program helped me pay for the application fee and travel costs,” noted Philip in a conversation with EducationUSA.

Mohammed Mabrouk Halid was completing his national service at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, when he met an alumnus of a U.S. university.  Soon enough, with the help of EducationUSA, he was applying for graduate programs in the United States.  After graduating as a Master of Arts in Finance from Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri), he is now a PhD candidate at University of the Cumberlands.

“Success is a journey, not a destination,” concludes Halid.

The U.S. Embassy worked closely with prospective students over the past year, helping students accepted to U.S. colleges and universities navigate the visa process and other preparations.  The U.S. Embassy processed more than 7,000 student visa cases in the last fiscal year – breaking all previous records.

Through EducationUSA, the U.S. Department of State’s network of education advisers, the U.S. Embassy has continued to engage prospective Ghanaian students.  Through online and in-person information sessions this year, EducationUSA has reached more than 200,000 Ghanaian students, including nearly 3,000 students who attended EducationUSA’s College Fair in Accra in September 2022.  EducationUSA maintains Advising Centers in Accra and Kumasi for virtual and in-person student advising.

This week, a team from the U.S. Embassy is visiting Tamale, Northern Region and Bolgatanga, Upper East Region as part of the American Spaces and EducationUSA Roadshow.  With events in both cities, from November 14 through November 17, the team will engage local entrepreneurs in training sessions, as well as local students to provide information on studying in the United States. For more information and to register for the events in Tamale and Bolgatanga, visit https://bit.ly/Tamale-Bolga

Ghanaian students interested in studying in the United States can follow the U.S. Embassy Facebook (@USEmbassyGhana) for virtual and in-person information sessions and future opportunities.  For in-person education advising at U.S. EducationUSA Advising Center, see: https://gh.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educationusa-center/ As per public release.