More Ghanaians Seek Higher Education In US

Mohammed Mabrouk Halid receiving his Master’s Degree in Finance from Webster University in Missouri

Ghanaian students continue to choose the United States as a top destination for higher education.  The recent 2022 Open Doors Report confirms that 4,916 Ghanaian students studied at US colleges and universities during the most recent (2021-2022) academic year.  This represents a 16 percent increase over the previous year, and continues a long-term growth trend among Ghanaian students.

“US higher educational institutions offer world-class learning experiences.  Our team has worked hard to help students with the application, admission, and visa process this year.  We are so proud that more Ghanaian students are choosing the United States,” said US Ambassador to Ghana, Virginia Palmer.

Ghanaian students studied at 700 US colleges and universities in all 50 US 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 programmes.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, new international student enrollment in the United States rebounded this year – the total number of international students enrolled in US institutions increased four percent.  The United States remains the top destination for international education with over 948,000 students enrolled.

Ghanaian student Philip De-Graft, a freshman at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, is a member of the school’s Presidential and Bonner Scholar programmes.  Philip is the first person in his family to attend university.

“EducationUSA provided me with reliable information and helped me to select my best fit institution.  From test preparation to essay review, to the visa process and pre-departure orientation, we had a great relationship.  Even after helping me land a full scholarship, EducationUSA’s Opportunity Fund Program helped me pay for the application fee and travel costs,” noted Philip in a conversation with EducationUSA.

Mohammed Mabrouk Halid was completing his national service at Ghana’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, when he met an alumnus of a US university.  Soon enough, with the help of EducationUSA, he was applying for graduate programmes in the United States.  After graduating as a Master of Arts in Finance from Webster University (St. Louis, Missouri), he is now a PhD candidate at University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.

“Success is a journey, not a destination,” concludes Halid.

Ghanaian students interested in studying in the United States can follow the US Embassy Facebook (@USEmbassyGhana) for virtual and in-person information sessions and future opportunities.  For in-person education advising at US EducationUSA Advising Center, see: https://gh.usembassy.gov/education-culture/educationusa-center/