Ghana Now 14th In World For Students Studying In US; Numbers More Than Tripled Since 2019 – US Chargé d’Affaires Rolf Olson

Ghana now ranks 14th in the world as a source of international students in the United States, a significant leap that reflects the premium Ghanaian families place on education and the US Embassy’s prioritization of student visas.

This was disclosed by the Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of the US Embassy in Ghana, Rolf Olson, at the EducationUSA College Fair in Accra.

Mr. Olson said the feat is even more remarkable considering Ghana’s population size compared to countries ahead on the list.

“Ghana now ranks 14th in the world as a source of international students in the United States, 14th in the whole world, and that does not adjust for population. That means Ghana is behind on that list countries like China, India, Nigeria, Japan, countries that have much larger populations in most cases. This is a credit to Ghanaian students, to their families and to their educators,” he said.

From 4,000 to 12,800 Students In Six Years

The US diplomat revealed that the number of Ghanaian students studying in the US has more than tripled in six years.

“In 2019-2020, the last academic year that started before COVID hit in 2020, there were approximately 4,000 Ghanaians studying in the United States. The last year that we have data for, which is the 2024-25 school year, there were 12,800. The number more than tripled in a six-year period,” he noted.

He attributed the growth to the hard work of students, parents and educators, but also to the Embassy’s deliberate effort to prioritize student visa adjudications.

“It also reflects the priority that we in the US Embassy have placed on adjudicating student visa applications over the years. We strive to adjudicate as many applications as we are able with the resources we have, and we always encourage students to apply for visas as soon as they are able,” he added.

Education As Commercial Diplomacy

Mr. Olson described this year’s EducationUSA tour, which brought nearly 30 accredited American colleges and universities to Kumasi and now Accra, as more than an academic exercise but a story of commercial diplomacy.

“American universities compete globally for talented students, and we want Ghana’s brightest to see the United States as a serious, welcoming option,” he said.

More than 3,000 students, parents and counselors participated in this year’s fair.

“Behind those numbers are families who have prioritized education and decided that it is worth the sacrifice, the application fees, the standardized tests, the hard conversations about what is possible. Our job today is to meet that sacrifice with real opportunity and honest information,” Mr. Olson said.

He linked educational exchange to broader US-Ghana ties, noting that trade between the two countries reached about $4 billion in 2024, with more than 100 US companies now operating in Ghana in energy, agribusiness and technology.

“Every student who studies in the United States and returns home with new skills strengthens that same partnership,” he said.

Personal Touch

Speaking on a personal note, the Chargé d’Affaires said he relates to the anxiety of families present, as a former college student and current parent of a high school senior applying to colleges in Virginia and a son in his third year at Temple University, which was represented at the fair.

“I have either been or am in your shoes. I was a college student just a few years ago, and currently the parent of a high school senior who is in boarding school in the US and was just with her a few weeks ago visiting colleges around our home state of Virginia. Our oldest son is in his third year of university… the university he attends is represented here today, Temple University,” he shared, joking that he forgot to wear his Temple tie.

Mr. Olson thanked the American universities for making Ghana a priority, the Ministry of Education for its partnership, and urged students to take full advantage of the fair.

“None of this happens on its own. It takes an American university willing to spend a week on the road rather than waiting for applications to arrive, a Ghanaian family willing to invest in a degree thousands of miles from home, and a government willing to treat education as a matter of national importance. To the students and families here today, this fair exists for you. Take full advantage of it. Ask questions, gather information and start conversations that could shape your future,” he said.