Speaking Of. . . : Foreign Students

The number of international students in U.S higher education reached a new high in the 1991-92 academic year. Students from other nations constitute just under 3% of total U.S. enrollment of 14.3 million, but they represent one-third of all students studying abroad worldwide.

Asian students account for nearly 60% of total international students, and more than half of Asian students are enrolled at the graduate level.

Engineering ranked as the top field of study for international students in the United States for 35 years until the 1989-90 academic year. Since then, business/management has been the most popular field.

The number of international students from Latin America, Africa and the Middle East has fallen steadily throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. Less than 15 years ago, the Middle East, fueled by oil wealth, accounted for nearly 30% of all international students here.

The percentage of women among international students has been growing since the 1980s. In 1991-92, they accounted for a record 152,400 international students, or 36% of the total.

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Top 30 countries of origin of foreign students in U.S.

Country No. of Percentage Change Students From Previous Yr China 42,940 8.4 Japan 40,700 11.2 Taiwan 35,550 6.0 India 32,530 12.7 South Korea 25,720 10.1 Canada 19,190 4.6 Hong Kong 13,190 4.4 Malaysia 12,650 -7.1 Indonesia 10,250 7.7 Pakistan 8,120 5.0 Thailand 7,690 8.5 Germany 7,570 8.1 Britain 7,470 2.3 Mexico 6,650 -1.3 France 5,580 -0.9

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What They Study

Top Fields of Study Number Percentage Business & Management 84,560 20.1 Engineering 74,150 17.7 Physical & Life Sciences 37,030 8.8 Mathematics & Computer Science 36,670 8.7 Social Sciences 31,710 7.6 Fine & Applied Arts 21,490 5.1 Health Sciences 17,100 4.1 Humanities 15,760 3.8 Education 12,700 3.0 Agriculture 8,120 2.0

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Where They Study

Top States Number California 55,679 New York 43,817 Texas 27,157 Massachusetts 22,639 Illinois 18,351 Pennsylvania 18,225 Florida 17,965 Michigan 15,494 Ohio 15,308 New Jersey 9,801

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Where They Study

Top Universities Number University of Texas, Austin 4,119 University of Southern California 4,063 Boston University 3,925 University of Wisconsin, Madison 3,834 New York University 3,384 Ohio State University, Main Campus 3,354 Columbia University 3,090 University of Pennsylvania 2,962 University of Illinois at Urbana- Champagne 2,928 Texas A&M; University, Main Campus 2,785

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Who Pays For Foreign Study

Source of Funds Percentage Personal & Family 66.2 U.S. College/University 19.0 Home Government/University 5.2 U.S. Private Sponsor 2.8 Current Employment 2.3 Foreign Private Sponsor 2.0 U.S. Government 1.4 International Organization 0.5 Other 0.6

SOURCE: Institute of International Education census “Open Doors 1991/92”