Ghana Students in United States

Ghana’s higher education-aged population continues to be one of its fastest growing demographic groups. The number of people between the ages of 15 and 24 years in Ghana increased to nearly six million in 2020, an increase of around 102,000 people from the previous year.   

Ghanaian students continue to choose the United States as a top destination for higher education. The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education published their Open Doors® Report on International Educational Exchange in November 2022.  It confirms that 4,916 Ghanaian students studied at U.S. colleges and universities during the most recent (2021-2022) academic year.  This represents a 16% increase over the previous year and continues a long-term growth trend among Ghanaian students.  

Ghanaian students studied at 700 different U.S. colleges and universities in all 50 states in 2021-2022.  Among Sub-Saharan African countries, Ghana sends the second-highest number of students, second only to Nigeria. Ghana also now ranks 18th in the world for countries sending students to the United States for graduate programs. Ghanaian students were part of a larger global trend following the Covid 19 pandemic where new international student enrollment in the United States grew by four percent overall.
Ghanaian students pursue Bachelors, Masters, and PhDs, as well as take professional courses. 

Factors Influencing Ghanaian Student’s/Parent’s Decisions
•    Affordability
•    Security
•    Scholarships
•    Demographics
•    Family
•    Student Loans

There are some competitive markets in the education space in Ghana. The top three of these include the United Kingdom, Canada and Europe (Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and Hungary). These markets usually focus on some best practices including: 
•    Ease of attaining student visas 
•    Availability of maintaining a visa post-study 
•    In-person counseling for parents and students 
•    Frequent education fairs 

A U.S. university degree holds a competitive advantage due to: 
•    Quality of Schools 
•    Scholarships (Academic and Sports)
•    Optional Practice Training 
•    On-Campus Jobs
•    Opportunities for top rank job recruitment 

Some challenges faced accessing and using a foreign degree include: 
•    Obtaining Visas
•    Funding

To learn more about the environment for doing business in Ghana, contact Commercial Service Ghana at Office.Accra@trade.gov or +233(0)30-274-1870 and see our Country Commercial Guide to Ghana for broader context on doing business in Ghana and our market intelligence reports for ongoing updates on specific topics and industries.