Maybe they’re doing something right: American colleges and universities are highly regarded by an important subset of their students. One-fifth of students from other countries who study abroad are studying here in the U.S.
A recent Brookings Institution report found more than 800,000 foreign students in the U.S. in 2012, a record, and five times as many as were here in 2001. About 25% are from China, 15% from India, 10% from South Korea, and 5% from Saudi Arabia.
Some were sent here by their governments, others by their parents or their employers. Some come by their own unaided effort, making large financial sacrifices. No matter where the money comes from, foreign students mostly pay full freight to their institutions. From 2001 through 2012, they paid an estimated $56.5 billion in tuition and fees. Their living expenses added another $39.1 billion to U.S. gross domestic product.
The University of Southern California had the greatest number of foreign undergraduates, followed closely by Columbia University, the University of Illinois, New York University, and Purdue University.