Highlights from Open Doors 2007:
Note: Extensive data tables are available on IIE's website at www.opendoors.iienetwork.org. India is the leading place of origin for international students in the U.S. with 83,833 in 2006/07 (an increase of 10% from the previous year), followed by #2 China (67,723 up 8% ) #3 Korea (62,392, up 6%), #4 Japan (35,282, down 9%), #5 Taiwan (29,094, up 4%), #6 Canada (28,280, up less than 1%), #7 Mexico (13,826, down 1%), #8 Turkey (11,506, down 1%), #9 Thailand (8,886, up 1%), #10 Germany (8,656, down 2%), #11 United Kingdom (8,438 up 2%), #12 Saudi Arabia (7,886, up 129%), #13 Nepal (7,754, up 28%), #14 Hong Kong (7,722 down 2%), #15 Indonesia (7,338 down 3%) #16 Brazil (7,126, up 2%), #17 Colombia (6,750, down 1%), #18 France (6,704, up 1%), #19 Kenya (6,349, down 3%), #20 Vietnam (6,036, up 31%). (For further details on the trends from each of these leading places of origin, go to the Open Doors website and click on "
Country Sheets").
The top ten most popular fields of study for international students in the U.S. in 2006/07 were Business and Management (18% of total), Engineering (15%) and Physical and Life Sciences (9%), followed closely by Social Sciences (8%), Mathematics and Computer Sciences (8%), Fine & Applied Arts (5%) Health Professions (5%), Intensive English Language (4%), Education (3%), Humanities (3%). Fields experiencing growth include Intensive English Language (up 30%) and Social Sciences (up 6%). Undeclared majors are excluded from the rankings of top fields of study
University of Southern California hosts the largest number of international students. For the sixth year in a row, the University of Southern California is the leading host institution (7,115). Columbia University hosts the second highest number of foreign students (5,937). Other campuses in the top 10 are: New York University (5,827), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (5,685), Purdue University (5,581), University of Michigan - Ann Arbor (5,429), University of Texas at Austin (5,303), UCLA (4,704), Harvard (4,514), Boston University (4,484), and University of Pennsylvania (4,484).
California remains the leading host state for international students (77,987, up 3.5%), followed by New York (65,884, up 2.5%), Texas (49,081, up 5%), Massachusetts (28,680, up 2%), Florida (26,875, up 3%), Illinois (25,594, up 2%), Pennsylvania (23,182, up 3%) , Michigan (21,143, up 1.5%), Ohio (18,607, up 3%), and Indiana (14,450, up 3%). All of the top 20 leading hosting states experienced increases in foreign student enrollments, with North Carolina (6%), Maryland (5%) and Texas (5%) having the largest percentage increases. (For breakdowns by state, including leading host institutions and leading fields of study and places of origin for foreign students, go to the Open Doors website and click on "
State Sheets").
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The Open Doors report is published by the Institute of International Education, the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. IIE has conducted the annual statistical survey of the international students in the United States since 1949, and with support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since the early 1970s. The census is based on a survey close to 3,000 accredited U.S. institutions. Open Doors also reports on surveys on international scholars at U.S. universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs, and on U.S. students studying abroad, based a separate survey begun in 1985. A full press kit and further details on the
Open Doors 2007 surveys and their findings can be accessed on
www.opendoors.iienetwork.org, and the full 100 page report can be ordered for $49.95 from IIE Books at
www.iiebooks.org.
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of State manages a wide range of academic, professional, and cultural exchanges that include approximately 40,000 participants annually, with the goal of increasing mutual understanding and respect between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. ECA manages the EducationUSA network of advising offices (
http://educationusa.state.gov/) for students around the world who want to study in the United States. For more information on the Department of State's educational and cultural exchange activities, visit
www.exchanges.state.gov.