We often read about the sorry state of education in the United States. It might be surprising to many to learn, then, that a rising number of international students are flocking to the country to study at our top institutions of higher education.
The number of international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities is on the rise. In fact, 763,133 international students are currently working toward degrees in U.S. schools.
For a sense of how large that number is, consider this: The number of international students at U.S. institutions of higher education is largely than the number of residents living in Austin, Texas. These students must be here for a reason. Perhaps the quality of education that U.S. college students receive is on par with higher education across the globe?
Whatever the reason, students from across the globe are heading to U.S. colleges to study everything from business to engineering to performing arts.
The largest number of international students come from China, which supplies about 121,000 students to U.S. colleges and universities. In second place comes South Korea, with about 105,000 students. Rounding out the top five are India, with about 101,000 students; Japan: 30,000 students; and Canada with 30,000.
The majority of these international students attend classes in six different states. Overall, California, Illinois, Texas, New York, Massachusetts and Florida host 51 percent of the country’s international students.
Here’s how these states break down: California universities and colleges host 129,721 international students. New York’s institutions of higher learning teach 94,600 international students. Texas is home to 57,812 international students while Massachusetts plays host to 39,098.
Florida universities and colleges boast 33,977 international students, while Illinois’ have 33,177.
These students often major in business, management or marketing. These fields claim a total of 158,000 international students. Coming in second is engineering, with about 100,000 students from other countries. The fields of computer and informational sciences claim another 48,000 of these students, while about 40,000 study for jobs in the health professions and related fields. About 39,000 international students are in the United States taking liberal arts and humanities classes.
Finally, international students are flocking to colleges scattered across the United States. New York University, though, claims the greatest number of international students with 11,435. Coming in second is University of Southern California, which hosts 7,252 international students.
The Midwest’s Purdue University brings 6,469 international students to Indiana, while the University of Illinois brings an additional 5,980 international students. Finally, Columbia University also boasts a large number of students from other countries, 5,818.
