The universities with the highest percentage of international students 2023

Explore the universities with the highest percentage of international students based on data collected by Times Higher Education

May 3 2023

Top 10 universities with the highest percentage of international students 2023

Scroll down to see the full table

International student rank 2023	University	Country/region	Percentage of international students
1	Macau University of Science and Technology	Macao	91.0%
2	Constructor University	Germany	83.7%
3	Near East University	Northern Cyprus	83.3%
4	Eastern Mediterranean University	Northern Cyprus	76.2%
5	American University of Sharjah	United Arab Emirates	76.0%
6	London School of Economics and Political Science	United Kingdom	73.0%
7	RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences	Ireland	69.8%
8	Università della Svizzera italiana	Switzerland	66.5%
9	City University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong	62.5%
10	École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne	Switzerland	62.1%

The higher education world is getting smaller as more and more people choose to study abroad. Students want universities to provide an international experience, the opportunity to study alongside people from all over the world, and a truly global community in which to study.

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As part of the data collected for the World University Rankings, Times Higher Education asks all institutions to provide figures on their percentage of international students. Using this data, THE has compiled a list of the top 200 universities with the highest percentage of international students.

Macau University of Science and Technology is in first place, with 91 per cent international students, while Constructor University takes second place.

Countries represented in the top 20 include the UAE, UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and Australia.

Nineteen universities from London feature in the top 200, making it one of the most represented cities in the ranking. In fact, the UK as a whole was the most represented country, with 65 universities in the top 200, compared with 23 in Australia and 19 from the US.

The top five universities with the highest percentage of international students 2023

Scroll down to see the top 200.

1. Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao

Macau University of Science and Technology is a relatively young university, having been established in 2000.

The university offers courses in areas that include social sciences, sciences, law, management, business, medicine, pharmacy, tourism, art, communication and languages.

To reflect its international student cohort, the university teaches in English, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.

The institution has established partnerships with more than 200 institutions in Europe, America, Australia, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to facilitate student and staff exchange programmes.

2. Constructor University, Germany

Constructor University is located in Bremen, Germany.

Most of its courses are taught in English.

Students come from more than 110 countries, including India, Nepal, the US, Albania, Pakistan, Morocco and China. The university also has more than 120 partnerships with other institutions around the world.

Students are able to choose their own programme of study from the course catalogue or opt for a preselected study track.

3. Near East University, Northern Cyprus

Near East University is the largest university in Northern Cyprus. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in areas including architecture, dentistry, fine arts, engineering, veterinary science, law, maritime studies and performing arts.

The university’s international student office assists with applications and organises student events on campus.

Students from more than 100 nationalities are enrolled at the university.

4. Eastern Mediterranean University, Northern Cyprus

Eastern Mediterranean University is the second university from Northern Cyprus to feature in the top five.

The main languages of instruction at the university are Turkish and English.

The institution organises student exchange programmes in 13 countries including the US, Canada, Italy, Austria, South Korea and China.

International students are able to apply for 50 per cent and 25 per cent scholarships.

5. American University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

The University of Sharjah is a relatively small institution with just over 5,000 students, and 77 per cent of this student body is international. Some 99 countries are represented on campus, and some of the main home countries of these students are the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and India.

English is the main teaching language.

The university is a member of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities, an organisation that delivers higher education based on the American liberal arts model outside the US.

Every year the university’s international studies department organises the annual Model United Nations high school and university conference.

The top 200 universities for international students 2023

Click each institution to view its full World University Rankings 202 3 profile

International student rank 2023	University	Country/region	Percentage of international students
1	Macau University of Science and Technology	Macao	91.0%
2	Constructor University	Germany	83.7%
3	Near East University	Northern Cyprus	83.3%
4	Eastern Mediterranean University	Northern Cyprus	76.2%
5	American University of Sharjah	United Arab Emirates	76.0%
6	London School of Economics and Political Science	United Kingdom	73.0%
7	RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences	Ireland	69.8%
8	Università della Svizzera italiana	Switzerland	66.5%
9	City University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong	62.5%
10	École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne	Switzerland	62.1%
11	Hong Kong Baptist University	Hong Kong	61.7%
12	Imperial College London	United Kingdom	60.7%
13	UCL	United Kingdom	59.8%
14	Abu Dhabi University	United Arab Emirates	59.6%
15	University of Bedfordshire	United Kingdom	59.4%
16	Maastricht University	Netherlands	56.2%
17	University of Sharjah	United Arab Emirates	54.9%
18	University of Nicosia	Cyprus	54.0%
19	SOAS University of London	United Kingdom	52.7%
20	Federation University Australia	Australia	52.4%
21	King’s College London	United Kingdom	52.0%
22	Australian National University	Australia	51.5%
23	University of Luxembourg	Luxembourg	51.3%
24	City, University of London	United Kingdom	50.6%
25	Middlesex University	United Kingdom	50.2%
26	University of Westminster	United Kingdom	50.1%
27	Auckland University of Technology	New Zealand	48.9%
28	Coventry University	United Kingdom	47.5%
=29	University of Melbourne	Australia	47.4%
=29	Carnegie Mellon University	United States	47.4%
=31	University of Edinburgh	United Kingdom	47.0%
=31	University of St Andrews	United Kingdom	47.0%
33	Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)	United Kingdom	46.1%
34	Queen Mary University of London	United Kingdom	45.9%
35	University of Innsbruck	Austria	45.5%
36	University of Sydney	Australia	44.7%
37	University of Manchester	United Kingdom	44.4%
38	University of East London	United Kingdom	44.3%
=39	University of Warwick	United Kingdom	44.2%
=39	Lincoln University	New Zealand	44.2%
41	University of Greenwich	United Kingdom	44.1%
42	University of Aberdeen	United Kingdom	43.7%
43	Medical University of Innsbruck	Austria	43.5%
44	University of Hong Kong	Hong Kong	43.1%
=45	Centrale Nantes	France	42.6%
=45	Kingston University	United Kingdom	42.6%
47	University of Oxford	United Kingdom	42.2%
48	New York University	United States	41.5%
=49	University of Sheffield	United Kingdom	41.4%
=49	UNIR – International University of La Rioja	Spain	41.4%
51	Institut Polytechnique de Paris	France	41.1%
52	University of Glasgow	United Kingdom	40.9%
53	The University of Queensland	Australia	40.8%
=54	ETH Zurich	Switzerland	40.7%
=54	Illinois Institute of Technology	United States	40.7%
56	Monash University	Australia	40.6%
=57	University of Sunderland	United Kingdom	40.4%
=57	University of Essex	United Kingdom	40.4%
=59	Murdoch University	Australia	40.2%
=59	UNSW Sydney	Australia	40.2%
61	Birkbeck, University of London	United Kingdom	40.1%
62	Georgia Institute of Technology	United States	40.0%
63	University of Geneva	Switzerland	39.7%
64	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom	39.4%
65	Brunel University London	United Kingdom	39.3%
66	University of Southampton	United Kingdom	39.2%
67	Lancaster University	United Kingdom	39.1%
68	Goldsmiths, University of London	United Kingdom	39.0%
69	University of Macau	Macao	38.8%
70	Queen’s University Belfast	United Kingdom	38.7%
71	Bond University	Australia	38.6%
72	Columbia University	United States	37.9%
=73	De Montfort University	United Kingdom	37.5%
=73	University of Hertfordshire	United Kingdom	37.5%
=75	Heriot-Watt University	United Kingdom	37.3%
=75	École des Ponts ParisTech	France	37.3%
77	Sciences Po	France	37.1%
78	University of Twente	Netherlands	37.0%
79	University of Sussex	United Kingdom	36.5%
80	University of Rochester	United States	36.4%
=81	University of Liverpool	United Kingdom	36.1%
=81	University of Leeds	United Kingdom	36.1%
=83	University of Tasmania	Australia	36.0%
=85	The University of Chicago	United States	35.8%
=85	University of Surrey	United Kingdom	35.8%
=85	Flinders University	Australia	35.8%
88	Northeastern University, US	United States	35.7%
89	Technical University of Munich	Germany	35.6%
=91	Qatar University	Qatar	35.2%
=91	London South Bank University	United Kingdom	35.2%
93	Royal Holloway, University of London	United Kingdom	35.1%
94	The New School	United States	35.0%
95	Edinburgh Napier University	United Kingdom	34.9%
96	Stevens Institute of Technology	United States	34.6%
97	Durham University	United Kingdom	34.5%
98	University of Birmingham	United Kingdom	34.4%
99	RMIT University	Australia	34.3%
=100	University of British Columbia	Canada	34.2%
=100	Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg	Austria	34.2%
=102	Semmelweis University	Hungary	34.1%
=102	University of Leicester	United Kingdom	34.1%
104	California Institute of Technology	United States	33.9%
=105	Concordia University	Canada	33.7%
=105	Universitat Internacional de Catalunya	Spain	33.7%
=107	University of St Gallen	Switzerland	33.6%
=107	University of Bath	United Kingdom	33.6%
109	Medical University of Vienna	Austria	33.3%
110	IMT Atlantique	France	33.2%
111	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	United States	33.1%
=112	University of Roehampton	United Kingdom	33.0%
=112	La Trobe University	Australia	33.0%
114	Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca	Romania	32.6%
115	University of Adelaide	Australia	32.3%
=116	Instituto Politécnico de Bragança	Portugal	32.2%
=118	University of Reading	United Kingdom	32.1%
=118	Alfaisal University	Saudi Arabia	32.1%
121	European University of Madrid	Spain	31.9%
=122	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology	Hong Kong	31.7%
=122	James Cook University	Australia	31.7%
=124	University of Auckland	New Zealand	31.5%
=124	University of Amsterdam	Netherlands	31.5%
=124	Curtin University	Australia	31.5%
=127	Delft University of Technology	Netherlands	31.4%
=127	Simon Fraser University	Canada	31.4%
129	University of Waikato	New Zealand	31.3%
130	University College Dublin	Ireland	31.2%
131	Université Libre de Bruxelles	Belgium	31.1%
132	University of Bristol	United Kingdom	31.0%
=133	Boston University	United States	30.9%
=133	TU Wien	Austria	30.9%
136	University of Technology Sydney	Australia	30.7%
137	University of Nottingham	United Kingdom	30.5%
139	Ilmenau University of Technology	Germany	30.3%
=140	University of Bradford	United Kingdom	30.1%
=140	Royal Veterinary College	United Kingdom	30.1%
=140	University of Basel	Switzerland	30.1%
=140	Hong Kong Polytechnic University	Hong Kong	30.1%
=140	McGill University	Canada	30.1%
145	Charles Darwin University	Australia	29.9%
=146	Universiti Utara Malaysia	Malaysia	29.8%
=146	University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland	Switzerland	29.8%
148	Massey University	New Zealand	29.5%
=150	University of Kent	United Kingdom	29.3%
=150	University of Exeter	United Kingdom	29.3%
152	University of Vienna	Austria	29.1%
=153	University of Strathclyde	United Kingdom	28.9%
=153	University of Windsor	Canada	28.9%
=155	Newcastle University	United Kingdom	28.8%
=155	University of Portsmouth	United Kingdom	28.8%
=157	Université Sorbonne Nouvelle	France	28.7%
=157	Johns Hopkins University	United States	28.7%
159	Loughborough University	United Kingdom	28.6%
=160	University of California, San Diego	United States	28.5%
=160	Riga Stradiņš University	Latvia	28.5%
=160	The University of Western Australia	Australia	28.5%
=163	University of Klagenfurt	Austria	28.4%
=163	Dalhousie University	Canada	28.4%
165	Brandeis University	United States	28.3%
166	University of Alberta	Canada	28.2%
=167	Rice University	United States	28.1%
=167	Cardiff University	United Kingdom	28.1%
=169	University of Groningen	Netherlands	28.0%
=169	RWTH Aachen University	Germany	28.0%
=169	York University	Canada	28.0%
=169	Edith Cowan University	Australia	28.0%
=169	University of California, Irvine	United States	28.0%
174	Southern Cross University	Australia	27.8%
=175	Reichman University	Israel	27.6%
=175	Trinity College Dublin	Ireland	27.6%
=175	University of York	United Kingdom	27.6%
178	National Institute of Applied Sciences of Lyon (INSA Lyon)	France	27.5%
=179	Kyung Hee University	South Korea	27.4%
=179	Technical University of Berlin	Germany	27.4%
181	University of Wollongong	Australia	27.3%
182	University of Regina	Canada	27.2%
=183	University of Navarra	Spain	27.1%
=183	Karolinska Institute	Sweden	27.1%
=183	Macquarie University	Australia	27.1%
186	Prague University of Economics and Business	Czech Republic	27.0%
187	Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy	Romania	26.9%
=188	Wageningen University & Research	Netherlands	26.8%
=188	Medical University of Graz	Austria	26.8%
=190	Korea University	South Korea	26.7%
=190	University of Stirling	United Kingdom	26.7%
=190	University of Dundee	United Kingdom	26.7%
=190	Jinan University	China	26.7%
=194	V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University	Ukraine	26.5%
=194	University of Huddersfield	United Kingdom	26.5%
196	Birmingham City University	United Kingdom	26.3%
=197	Bangor University	United Kingdom	26.1%
=197	Universiti Putra Malaysia	Malaysia	26.1%
=197	Cornell University	United States	26.1%
=197	Technical University of Denmark	Denmark	26.1%

Editor’s note: As part of our THE statement on Ukraine published on 2 March 2022, Russian universities have been given less prominence in our rankings. Russian universities that met the criteria for this ranking are not displayed in the table above.