Resources — Foreign Student Facts

Foreign Students in U.S. - Key Facts

The United States is the world's most popular destination for international students studying abroad. More than a half million foreign students attend U.S. colleges and universities. This represents approximately 3 percent of the total U.S. student population.

These foreign students contributed more than $12 billion to the U.S. economy in 2000 with their expenditures for tuition, living expenses and related costs. This makes education the fifth largest U.S. service export, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

In this increasingly global economy, international students bring a number of additional benefits. Often these students offer the only opportunity for Americans to hear an international perspective and to learn how to interact with persons from another culture. Upon graduation, these students typically return to key positions in government and business in their native countries. This further strengthens important diplomatic and economic relationships between the United States and other nations.

The Profile of the Foreign Student

Asian students make up more than half (54 percent) of the foreign student population. According to the Institute for International Education (IIE), the ten most popular countries of origin in 1999-2000: 

Countries Students

More than three-quarters of students receive funding from outside of the U.S. Family members and personal sources contribute the majority of funds for more than two-thirds of all foreign students.