For the tenth consecutive year, China continues to be the largest source of international students in the United States, according to a report released on Monday.
For the educational year 2018-19, China sent 369,548 students in undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, and optional practical training (OPT) programs to the U.S., says the 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.
This is a 1.7 per cent increase from 2017-18. The second largest foreign community that is studying in the U.S. after China is Indian.
India sent more than 202,000 students to the U.S. in 2018-19, says the report released by Institute of International Education (IIE) and the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. This is a 2.9 per cent increase from 2017-18.
Students from the two Asian countries together account for more than 50 per cent of international students in the U.S. South Korea (52,250), Saudi Arabia (37,080), and Canada (26,122) round out the top five.
Emerging market countries showed some of the strongest growth year over year, especially Bangladesh (10 percent), Brazil (8 percent), Nigeria (5.8 percent), and Pakistan (5.6 percent).
The 2019 Open Doors Report shows the number of foreigners pursuing their higher studies in the United States hit a record in 2018-19.
Notably, this is the fourth consecutive year that the number of international students is crossing the one million mark.
The total number of international students reached 1,095,299 at the current academic year, rising 0.05 per cent over the last year.
The size of international students in the U.S. higher education population is estimated at 5.5 per cent. According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, they contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018.
51.6 percent of international students in the United States pursued STEM fields in 2018-19.
The number of international students in Math and Computer Science programs grew 9.4 percent, surpassing Business and Management to become the second largest field of study.
Engineering remained the largest academic field for international students in 2018/19, with 21.1 percent.
The report, released by Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, highlights the continued competitiveness of the U.S. higher education sector as a destination of choice for international students and the growing interest in international educational exchange among U.S. students.
In 2017-18, 341,751 U.S. students participated in study abroad programs for academic credit, a 2.7 percent increase over the previous year.
European countries remain the most popular destinations for U.S. students studying abroad - 54.9 percent, the report says.
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