As student applicant numbers from China plummeted by nearly 25% from the pandemic, two of the leading countries for international applicants are currently coming from West Africa. Nigeria and Ghana seem to be only behind China and India – the leading source of international students for decades now, suggests the latest data from Common App. Lack of capacity in local universities is driving African students to study abroad, and as of 2023, applicants from Nigeria and Ghana have at least tripled and quadrupled, respectively, from the 2019-20 admission cycle.
