The Acting Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy, Mr. Rolf Olson, has announced that Ghana currently ranks 14th in the world among international students pursuing studies in the U.S. He made this statement at the Education USA College Fair Accra, organised by the Embassy in collaboration with Education USA. The fair, held at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel, had about 30 universities from the U.S. participating, with many patrons in attendance.
According to Mr. Olson, Ghana was only behind countries like China, India, Nigeria, and Japan, who had much larger populations. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were only 4,000 Ghanaian students in the U.S., compared to the current 12,800 students. This represents a significant increase, with the number of students more than tripling in a six-year period.
Mr. Olson attributed the success, in part, to the Education USA College Fair, which has been running from 2021 to date, exposing Ghanaian students to U.S. universities. He also highlighted the efforts of the U.S. Embassy in adjudicating student visa cases, stating that they strived to adjudicate as many applications as possible with the resources they had.
The U.S. Embassy's efforts to facilitate the application process have contributed to the growth in the number of Ghanaian students in U.S. universities. Mr. Olson encouraged students to apply for visas in the context of the college application process, saying that American universities compete globally for talented students and want Ghana's brightest to see the U.S. as a serious, welcoming option.
The ties between the U.S. and Ghana extend well beyond the classroom, Mr. Olson added. The Education USA College Fair provided an opportunity for patrons, mostly students, to engage with admission officers and get firsthand information about their universities. This year's fair was held over two days, with the first day in Kumasi and the second day in Accra.
Ms. Marilyn Owusu, Senior Education Adviser at Education USA, U.S. Embassy, said they were expecting not less than 3,000 patrons at the Fair in Accra, following a successful event in Kumasi. Representatives from various U.S. universities, such as the University of Vermont, expressed their enthusiasm for engaging with Ghanaian students and highlighted the variety of programs offered by their institutions.
Dhairya Gohel, a representative of the University of Vermont, encouraged students to choose the U.S. for their future education, citing the opportunity for customization, where students can choose a major and minor course from different departments. He noted that this flexibility allows students to tailor their education to their interests, regardless of their program of study.
Key points
- Ghana ranks 14th globally among international students in U.S. universities, with 12,800 students currently enrolled.
- The number of Ghanaian students in U.S. universities has more than tripled in a six-year period, from 4,000 to 12,800.
- The Education USA College Fair has contributed to the growth in the number of Ghanaian students in U.S. universities, exposing them to various U.S. institutions and facilitating the application process.
