Foreign student numbers in US reach record high, with almost one third from China

The number of international students enrolled at US institutions has increased for the eighth year in a row, with China being the main driver of growth.

There are now 72 per cent more international students studying at US universities and colleges since 2000, according to this year’s Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, published in association with the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The total number of international students enrolled in US higher education increased by 8 per cent to a record high of 886,052 students in 2013/14.

China was the primary driver of this growth, with student enrolments increasing by 17 per cent to more than 274,000 students. Chinese students now make up 31 per cent of all international students in the US, with more than double the number of students than India, at 102,673.

With 74 per cent of international students receiving the majority of their funding from sources outside the US, they are a boon to the American educational sector and economy at large, contributing more than US$27 billion, according to the US Department of Commerce.

International students are spread out across the United States, with all of the top 25 universities and all top 10 states hosting more international students than last year. California was the top state for the third year in a row, with more than 100,000 international students, followed by New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois.