One-third of international students in the US are Chinese, report finds

World Today

Nearly one million international students are currently studying in the U.S., and more than one-third of them are from China, according to a new report released on Monday.

(Source: Institute of International Education via Statista.)

The number of international students in the United States has grown to a record 974,926 in the 2014-15 academic year, an increase of 10 percent compared to last year, according to the 2015 Open Doors Report, an annual survey by the U.S. Institute of International Education. This is the highest rate of growth in 35 years, the report found.

With 304,040 students studying at U.S. colleges and universities, China remains the largest source of international students, showing a 10.8 percent increase from the 2013-14 academic year.

The second largest group were students from India. There were about 132,800 Indian students in the United States, with a growth rate 29.4 percent year-on-year.

Spending by international students contributed more than $30 billion to the U.S. economy in 2014, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

To boost exchange and communication, China and the U.S. agreed on reciprocal visa policies last year. The U.S. now allows 10-year multi-entry visas to Chinese tourists and businessmen. The validity of student visas was also extended to five years. Previously, it was no longer than one year.

Statistics from China’s Civil Aviation Administration show over 6.13 million people traveled between China and the U.S. last year, and the number is expected to grow by 15 percent each year.

Story by CCTV News