The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3 percent to 690,923 during the 2009-2010 academic year, representing a record high number of international students in the United States. This growth was driven mainly by a 30 percent increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to nearly 128,000 students. Chinese students account for more than 18 percent of the total international student population. China leads the top ten countries sending students to the United States, followed by India, the Republic of Korea, Canada, Taiwan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Vietnam and Turkey.
Those findings and more were released today in Open Doors 2010, the annualsurvey report published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Encouraging academic and intellectual exchange between the United States and other nations is vital to increasing mutual understanding and promoting U.S. security and economic wellbeing. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contribute $20 billion to the American economy, while they enrich U.S. campuses and communities with their knowledge, talents, and diverse perspectives. The U.S. Department of State’s EducationUSA network of advising offices assists students around the world who wish to study in the United States.
A full press kit and detailed analyses of the Open Doors 2010 surveys are available at www.iie.org/opendoors.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, professional, and sports exchange programs that include approximately 40,000 participants annually. ECA exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 51 Nobel Laureates and more than 340 current or former heads of state and government.
Media Contact: Catherine Stearns, StearnsCL@state.gov or 202-632-6437