Annual Report on English Language Programs in the USA

The second edition of the Annual Report on English Language Programs in the United States, released today by EnglishUSA and BONARD Education, sheds light on the performance of the US English language teaching sector in 2023.

While student numbers kept recovering post-pandemic, growth in 2023 slowed down and was more modest than in other ELT destinations.

Considering English language programs (ELP) reporting data in 2022 and 2023, student numbers rose by 4% and student weeks by 2% in 2023, and the US remained the third most popular destination for English language students behind the UK and Australia.

Five of the top ten markets experienced growth between 2022 and 2023. Taiwan was the fastest-growing market, with a triple-digit increase in student numbers, followed by Brazil, Japan, China, and Italy.

Key findings include:

• Participating ELPs enrolled 97,813 students in 2023; these English language students collectively studied for over 1,042,000 student weeks, with an average length of stay of 10.7 weeks.

• 19% of all English language learners were juniors: the US market is still dominated by adult students (81%). However, in line with global trends, junior student numbers grew in 2023.

• Direct enrollment and agents were the primary recruitment channels: 62% of students opted for direct enrollment through their chosen providers, while education agents accounted for a substantial share of bookings, representing 23% of the total.

• Most English language students (54%) enrolled on F-1 visas, while 19% were ESTA recipients.

Executive summary

_Note:

_{Data collection and reporting were partially funded by the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP) grant that EnglishUSA received in October 2022. The MDCP project “Promoting and Supporting English Language Programs (PASELS)” comprises several initiatives, and the enhanced data collection in this report will inform future endeavors.}

_{The research was conducted by means of an online survey administered between February 2023 and April 2023 that gathered data from a diverse sample of 289 ELPs of all types (private, university-governed, college-governed, and community college-governed).}

_{EnglishUSA is the largest and most diverse professional association of intensive English, pathway, and support programs and courses in the U.S. with a membership of over 215 accredited English language programs. Since 1986, EnglishUSA has been supporting the professional development of ELP leaders and staff, representing its constituents among multiple international education associations and with government agencies, and increasing the visibility of English language study in the U.S. For more information, visit https://www.englishusa.org/.}

_{BONARD is a market research provider with 15 years of experience in the international education sector. Leveraging evidence-based solutions, BONARD assists governments, destinations, and individual providers in developing tailored strategies and policies. With researchers who are members of ESOMAR World Research, BONARD is committed to delivering reliable market insights. Learn more about BONARD at www.bonardeducation.com.}

_{For more information about the report, please contact:}

_{Cheryl Delk-Le Good, EnglishUSA Executive Director, execdirector@englishusa.org}

_{Ivana Bartosik (Slobodnikova), BONARD’s International Education Director: ivana.slobodnikova@bonard.com}