ICE releases quarterly international student data
F, M students up 5.5 percent compared to July 2015; Number of certified
schools down 2.4 percent
WASHINGTON — There are 1.11 million international students with
F (academic) or M (vocational) status studying in the United States according
to the latest "SEVIS by the Numbers," a quarterly report on international
student trends prepared by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP),
part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security
Investigations (HSI).
The report, released Tuesday by SEVP, highlights July 2016
data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), a web-based
system that includes information about international students, exchange
visitors and their dependents while they are in the United States.
Based on data extracted from SEVIS July 7, international
student enrollment at U.S. schools increased 5.5 percent compared to July 2015.
In July, there were 8,673 U.S. schools with SEVP certification to enroll
international students, about a two percent decrease from the previous year.
Forty-two percent of international students studying in the
United States, equaling almost 467,000 individuals, were enrolled in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) coursework, an increase of 15.2
percent from July 2015. Approximately 407,000 international students from Asia
pursued STEM studies, an increase of 17 percent since July 2015.
The July report includes a special section about European students
studying in the United States. As of July 7, European students composed 7.26
percent of international students in the United States, equating to roughly
80,000 students. Fifty-two percent were male and 48 percent were female. This differs
from the rest of the world, where nearly 60 percent of international students
were male and just more than 40 percent were female. Almost 60 percent of
European students hailed from six countries in Europe, including the United
Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Russia and Italy, and 44 percent of European
students were enrolled at schools in three states – California, New York and
Massachusetts.
Among U.S. schools, New York University, the University of
Southern California, Northeastern University, Arizona State University and Columbia
University rank one through five for schools with the highest international
student populations. More than 10,000 international students were enrolled at
each school in July.
Arkansas and New Hampshire saw the highest percentages in
international student growth, at 20 and 19 percent respectively, compared to
July 2015.
Other key points from the report include: 77 percent of all
international students were from Asia. The top 10 countries of citizenship for
international students included: China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia,
Canada, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Brazil and Mexico.
The full report can be viewed here. Report
data was extracted from SEVIS July 7. The report captures a point-in-time
snapshot of data related to international students studying in the United
States. Data for the previous "SEVIS by the Numbers" report was
extracted from SEVIS in March 2016.
Individuals can explore and drill down international student
data from current and previous "SEVIS by the Numbers" reports by visiting
SEVP’s interactive mapping tool. This information
is viewable at the continent, region and country level and includes information
on gender and education levels, as well as international student populations by
state, broken down by geographical areas across the globe. New this year, users
can view international student data at the U.S. state level to learn more about
the students studying in a specific area of the United States.
SEVP monitors approximately one million international
students pursuing academic or vocational studies (F and M visa holders) in the
United States and their dependents. It also certifies the schools and programs
that enroll these students. The U.S. Department of State monitors exchange
visitors (J visa holders) and their dependents, and oversees exchange visitor
programs.
Both use SEVIS to protect national security by ensuring that
students, visitors and schools comply with U.S. laws. SEVP also collects and
shares SEVIS information with government partners, including U.S. Customs and
Border Protection and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, so only
legitimate international students and exchange visitors gain entry into the
United States.
HSI reviews SEVIS records for potential violations and refers
cases with possible national security or public safety concerns to its field
offices for further investigation. Additionally, SEVP’s Analysis and Operations
Center reviews student and school records for administrative compliance with
federal regulations related to studying in the United States.
Learn more about SEVP at www.ICE.gov/SEVP.
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