When an individual enrolls at a U.S. school as an F-1 or M-1 nonimmigrant student or participates in the Visa Exchange Visitor Program, the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) captures certain information about that individual in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). The data included on this page has been extracted from SEVIS. It provides an overview of SEVP-certified schools, as well as active nonimmigrant students and exchange visitors during a specific calendar year. This data is updated annually.
For reference, F-1 students pursue academic studies and M-1 students pursue vocational studies in the United States. J-1 exchange visitors participate in the Visa Exchange Visitor Program, which is managed by the U.S. Department of State.
A nonimmigrant student or exchange visitor is deemed active once they enter the U.S. and engage in their program of study or exchange visitor program. Their status is designated as “active” in SEVIS.
Nonimmigrant students can participate in various types of practical training related to their field of study.
- Pre-completion optional practical training (OPT) takes place prior to a student’s program end date.
- Post-completion OPT takes place after a student’s program end date.
- Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) OPT is a 24-month extension of OPT for qualifying students with STEM degrees.
- Curricular practical training (CPT) takes place prior to a student’s program end date and is integral to the school’s established curriculum.
Note: To participate in OPT, an nonimmigrant student must receive employment authorization from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
For more information about the different types of practical training available to nonimmigrant students, please read the SEVP Practical Training Overview.
For detailed requests of SEVP data, please visit the SEVP section of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Library. For information on nonimmigrant student trends, please visit the SEVIS by the Numbers report and the interactive SEVIS Data Mapping Tool on Study in the States.
More information about the Exchange Visitor Program can be found on the U.S. Department of State’s website.
2020 Data
School Data for 2020
- 2020 Top 500 F-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 500 schools by F-1 student population in calendar year 2020 - 2020 All M-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Schools certified by SEVP to enroll M-1 students by M-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2020 - 2020 Top 200 Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Public and Private Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 200 K-12 schools by F-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2020. *Per regulation, F-1 students cannot enroll in public elementary schools. - 2020 Top 100 School Campuses with OPT (Pre- + Post-) Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in OPT in calendar year 2020. - 2020 Top 100 School Campuses with STEM OPT Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in STEM OPT in calendar year 2020.
International Student and Exchange Visitor Data for 2020
- 2020 All Countries of Citizenship by Total Number of Active SEVIS Records
Number of student records by country of citizenship in calendar year 2020. - 2020 All Countries of Citizenship by Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in STEM OPT
Number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in STEM OPT by country of citizenship in calendar year 2019. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. **If a student transferred to another program of study in calendar year 2019 and was authorized to work, he/she is not double counted. - 2020 Total Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT
Total number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT in calendar year 2020. STEM OPT is not a subset of OPT. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. - 2007 to 2020 Annual Growth in OPT, STEM OPT and CPT Authorizations and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Issuances
Total number of annual OPT, STEM OPT and CPT authorizations with employment start dates during an indicated calendar year and a employer name from 2007 to 2020. Total number of students issued an EAD for OPT or STEM OPT from 2007 to 2020. - 2020 Top Five Countries of Citizenship for Secondary F-1 Students Engaged in High School Education (Grades 9-12)
Top five countries of citizenship by number of F-1 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in calendar year 2020.
2019 Data
School Data for 2019
- 2019 Top 500 F-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 500 schools by F-1 student population in calendar year 2019 - 2019 All M-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Schools certified by SEVP to enroll M-1 students by M-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2019 - 2019 Top 200 Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Public and Private Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 200 K-12 schools by F-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2019. *Per regulation, F-1 students cannot enroll in public elementary schools. - 2019 Top 100 School Campuses with OPT (Pre- + Post-) Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in OPT in calendar year 2019. - 2019 Top 100 School Campuses with STEM OPT Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in STEM OPT in calendar year 2019.
International Student and Exchange Visitor Data for 2019
- 2019 All Countries of Citizenship by Total Number of Active SEVIS Records
Number of student records by country of citizenship in calendar year 2019. - 2019 All Countries of Citizenship by Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in STEM OPT
Number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in STEM OPT by country of citizenship in calendar year 2019. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. **If a student transferred to another program of study in calendar year 2019 and was authorized to work, he/she is not double counted. - 2019 Total Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT.
Total number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT in calendar year 2019. STEM OPT is not a subset of OPT. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. - 2007 to 2019 Annual Growth in OPT, STEM OPT and CPT Authorizations and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Issuances
Total number of annual OPT, STEM OPT and CPT authorizations with employment start dates during an indicated calendar year and a employer name from 2007 to 2019. Total number of students issued an EAD for OPT or STEM OPT from 2007 to 2019. - 2019 Top Five Countries of Citizenship for Secondary F-1 Students Engaged in High School Education (Grades 9-12)
Top five countries of citizenship by number of F-1 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in calendar year 2019.
Employer Data for 2019
- 2019 Top 200 Employers for OPT and STEM OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in OPT and STEM OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2019. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - 2019 Top 200 Employers for CPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in CPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2019. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - 2003 – 2019 Top 200 Employers for Pre- and Post-Completion OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in pre‐ and post‐completion OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2003 through 2019. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - 2008 – 2019 Top 200 Employers for STEM OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in STEM OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2008 through 2019. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *STEM OPT program originated in 2008. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - 2003 – 2019 Top 200 Employers for CPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in CPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2003 through 2019. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - Top 500 Program Sponsors of New Exchange Visitors in Calendar Year 2019
Top 500 institutions or organizations designated to sponsor exchange visitors ranked by the total number of exchange visitors. The number of exchange visitors reflects those individuals who began a new exchange program in 2019. The number may include multiple program categories (e.g., sponsors may be designated to administer multiple categories. The total represents a tally of the multiple designations.)"
2018 Data
School Data for 2018
- 2018 Top 500 F-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 500 schools by F-1 student population in calendar year 2018 - 2018 All M-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Schools certified by SEVP to enroll M-1 students by M-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2018 - 2018 Top 200 Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Public and Private Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 200 K-12 schools by F-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2018. *Per regulation, F-1 students cannot enroll in public elementary schools. - 2018 Top 100 School Campuses with OPT (Pre- + Post-) Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in OPT in calendar year 2018. - 2018 Top 100 School Campuses with STEM OPT Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in STEM OPT in calendar year 2018.
International Student and Exchange Visitor Data for 2018
- 2018 All Countries of Citizenship by Total Number of Active SEVIS Records
Number of student records by country of citizenship in calendar year 2018. - 2018 All Countries of Citizenship by Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in STEM OPT
Number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in STEM OPT by country of citizenship in calendar year 2018. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. **If a student transferred to another program of study in calendar year 2018 and was authorized to work, he/she is not double counted. - 2018 Total Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT.
Total number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT in calendar year 2018. STEM OPT is not a subset of OPT. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. - 2007 to 2018 Annual Growth in OPT, STEM OPT and CPT Authorizations and Employment Authorization Document (EAD) Issuances
Total number of annual OPT, STEM OPT and CPT authorizations with employment start dates during an indicated calendar year and a employer name from 2007 to 2018. Total number of students issued an EAD for OPT or STEM OPT from 2007 to 2018. - 2018 Top Five Countries of Citizenship for Secondary F-1 Students Engaged in High School Education (Grades 9-12)
Top five countries of citizenship by number of F-1 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in calendar year 2018.
Employer Data for 2018
- 2018 Top 200 Employers for OPT and STEM OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in OPT and STEM OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2018. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - 2018 Top 200 Employers for CPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in CPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2018. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - 2003 – 2018 Top 200 Employers for Pre- and Post-Completion OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in pre‐ and post‐completion OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2003 through 2018. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - 2008 – 2018 Top 200 Employers for STEM OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in STEM OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2008 through 2018. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *STEM OPT program originated in 2008. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - 2003 – 2018 Top 200 Employers for CPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in CPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar years 2003 through 2018. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. *Prior to 2016, designated school officials were not required to enter a student's OPT employment information in SEVIS. - Top 500 Program Sponsors of New Exchange Visitors in Calendar Year 2018
Top 500 institutions or organizations designated to sponsor exchange visitors ranked by the total number of exchange visitors. The number of exchange visitors reflects those individuals who began a new exchange program in 2018. The number may include multiple program categories (e.g., sponsors may be designated to administer multiple categories. The total represents a tally of the multiple designations.)"
2017 Data
School Data for 2017
- 2017 Top 500 F-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 500 schools by F-1 student population in calendar year 2017 - 2017 All M-1 Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Schools certified by SEVP to enroll M-1 students by M-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2017 - 2017 Top 200 Kindergarten through Grade 12 (K-12) Public and Private Schools by Number of Active SEVIS Records
Top 200 K-12 schools by F-1 student population at each school in calendar year 2017. *Per regulation, F-1 students cannot enroll in public elementary schools. - 2017 Top 100 School Campuses with OPT (Pre- + Post-) Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in OPT in calendar year 2017. - 2017 Top 100 School Campuses with STEM OPT Authorizations by Active SEVIS Records
Top 100 schools by campus with the highest number of students authorized to participate in STEM OPT in calendar year 2017.
International Student and Exchange Visitor Data for 2017
- 2017 All Countries of Citizenship by Total Number of Active SEVIS Records
Number of student records by country of citizenship in calendar year 2017. - 2017 All Countries of Citizenship by Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in STEM OPT
Number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in STEM OPT by country of citizenship in calendar year 2017. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. **If a student transferred to another program of study in calendar year 2017 and was authorized to work, he/she is not double counted. - 2017 Total Number of SEVIS Records with Authorizations to Participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT.
Total number of SEVIS records with authorization to participate in CPT, OPT or STEM OPT in calendar year 2017. STEM OPT is not a subset of OPT. *Authorizations may be from a previous calendar year. - 2017 Top Five Countries of Citizenship for Secondary F-1 Students Engaged in High School Education (Grades 9-12)
Top five countries of citizenship by number of F-1 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 in calendar year 2017.
Employer Data for 2017
- 2017 Top 200 Employers for OPT and STEM OPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in OPT and STEM OPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2017. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - 2017 Top 200 Employers for CPT Students
Top 200 employers for students participating in CPT, by the number of students employed at each employer, in calendar year 2017. Please note: If a student is employed at the same employer while in a different program, he/she will be counted multiple times for that employer. - Top 500 Program Sponsors of New Exchange Visitors in Calendar Year 2017
Top 500 institutions or organizations designated to sponsor exchange visitors ranked by the total number of exchange visitors. The number of exchange visitors reflects those individuals who began a new exchange program in 2017. The number may include multiple program categories (e.g., sponsors may be designated to administer multiple categories. The total represents a tally of the multiple designations.)"