Where are there more of us?
Of course, you will find the most foreign students in countries whose policy includes the export of education. First of all, these are English-speaking countries - the USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand. Of these, the first three lead, and the rest are trying to catch up with them. Although, of course, small Ireland and New Zealand cannot compete with such giants as the USA and the United Kingdom.
Switzerland also joins the leaders, although in this small country English is not one of the official languages, many educational institutions, in particular secondary schools, hotel management schools, etc., have special English-language programs for foreigners. Actually, the language of instruction is a clear indicator of how oriented a particular educational institution is toward foreign students. If, say, a Dutch or Swedish university has programs in English, it means the university is oriented toward an influx of foreigners, who, of course, will not learn an “exotic” language for the sake of a foreign diploma, but will calmly go where they teach in the English they know.
It should be said that in countries where public education is free, there is not much desire to add to the ranks of schoolchildren and students with foreigners from all over the world. Thus, in state universities of the Czech Republic, the number of places for foreigners is declining every year. Germany also has certain quotas, especially in fields such as pedagogy, medicine, and law. The number of places allocated to foreigners at Italian universities is very limited—true, this applies to students from countries outside the European Union. And the common educational space that EU countries (and some others) seek to create through the reforms of the Bologna process will primarily be intended for Europeans, who will be able to easily change countries and universities. But the lion's share of foreign students in the world are precisely not Europeans.
USA
The largest number of foreigners study at various educational institutions in the USA, which is not surprising. It is not only that those wishing to make an international career flock here, to the “land of great opportunities.” It is simply that there are more universities and business schools here than anywhere else in the world, so overall they accommodate the largest number of students from abroad. In addition, most of the world's best universities are located here. An institution such as a business school is inherently designed for an international contingent, and American business schools, like universities, lead the world. So it is not surprising that the percentage of foreigners in them ranges from 25 to 40%. The position of the USA as country No. 1 in the number of foreign students was not even shaken by the tightening of visa policy after September 2001, although it still reduced the annual percentage of arrivals.
America also holds the palm of primacy in implementing exchange school programs like “Academic Year” - most exchange organizations are American. These are programs under which a foreign child spends a school year at an American school, for general development, without consequences. That is, without receiving a certificate. The number of schoolchildren studying under these programs is very large. For those who want to enter a university but do not have an American certificate, there are special preparatory colleges.
Relatively recently, foreigners wishing to study in the USA have discovered community colleges - state colleges that, while providing specialized secondary education, were previously almost not taken into account. Until it turned out (of course, thanks to the efforts of the colleges themselves) that this is a wonderful loophole into a university: study for two years - and then transfer to a university with pleasure.
In addition to students receiving a full higher education in the USA, quite a few foreigners knock on the doors of local universities for various holiday programs: summer schools, seminars, master classes, etc. And, of course, a significant part of students in the USA are those enrolled in language programs, among which there are very attractive ones such as “study + work” and “work + travel”, involving paid though unskilled labor.
Britain
In the United Kingdom, all levels of education, including kindergartens, are open to foreigners. The “best in the world” label is firmly attached to British education, and the country's authorities try to support this reputation in every possible way. Schools in the British Isles are divided into state and private. The former are for children of local residents, as well as foreigners permanently living and working in the country. The latter are for everyone, that is, for the whole world. Among private schools there are also international schools, specifically designed for foreign children: they study English in depth and gradually include the child in the full educational process.
For foreigners wishing to enter a British university, preparatory colleges are also open, giving the opportunity to pass secondary school exams at an accelerated pace. All kinds of pre-university preparation programs exist at the universities themselves, at colleges of further education, and even at language schools... This alone perfectly demonstrates the international orientation of British education. So “Bushmen, Tuareg, Papuans” will be in close proximity to you at any British university, including Oxford and Cambridge, where there are no “easier” paths and where they seemingly do not care much about the national diversity of students. It is no joke - in 2002 at Oxford, almost a quarter of students were foreigners from 130 countries. And in some universities, their share, especially in postgraduate programs and MBAs, generally exceeds half. Which is natural, given the active policy of attracting foreign students pursued by many universities.
Tens of thousands of students pass through British language schools every year, which have also earned a reputation as the best in the world. People happily come here from all corners of the world, not bothered by the distance. As for Europeans, it is easier for them to get to Britain than to another English-speaking country - only Malta is closer.
And others…
“And others” among the destinations most often chosen by foreign students are other English-speaking countries that, following Britain and the United States, opened their schools and universities to the whole world. In recent years, Ireland has been gaining momentum, where, as in Britain, international schools, pre-university preparation programs, and numerous language courses operate. True, there are far fewer universities in the country than on the neighboring island, and therefore fewer foreign students can be accommodated in them.
Australia and New Zealand (the number of universities in these countries is also not very high - the countries are small) even have to curb the influx of foreigners. This is done not by the universities themselves, but by the government, through fairly strict entry rules, which, however, apply only to certain countries. Otherwise, the entire Asia-Pacific region would be here in full force. Nevertheless, 10% or more of foreign students in local universities is the norm.
Tiny Malta is proud that thousands of students from all over the world study at its language schools every year. The University of Malta, however, does not specifically chase after foreign students, which, nevertheless, does not prevent Chinese, Arabs, and Slavs from enrolling there.
Somewhat apart among countries with internationally oriented education stands Switzerland, mentioned above. The fact is that Switzerland, of course, has universities, but the eyes of applicants from all over the world are not directed at them - it is quite difficult to get in, education is expensive, and one must study in French or German. Hotel management schools, which Switzerland is famous for, are another matter - they are international institutions by definition. This is evidenced by English-language instruction and the availability of partnership programs with universities in Britain, the USA, and others.
True, this is, so to speak, a special case - after all, not everyone seeks to link their career specifically with the hospitality industry. But many are happy to send their child to a Swiss boarding school. Children of almost 100 nationalities live in the country's 250 private schools. Both the unique Swiss upbringing and the opportunity to master several languages are attractive, and, of course, the fact that many schools teach in English, and one can choose virtually any certificate, from the German Matura to the international IB. These are truly international schools, as evidenced both by the names of some of them (“British”, “American”, “international”) and by the number of countries from which children come here.