New report notes 77 percent of international students hail from Asia; F, M student population up 2 percent since May 2016
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WASHINGTON — There are 1.18 million international students with
F (academic) or M (vocational) status studying at 8,774 schools in the United
States according to the latest "SEVIS by
the Numbers." The biannual report on international student data, which
includes a new section on regional data trends, is 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 Thursday by SEVP, highlights May 2017
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 May 5, the international
student population increased 2 percent compared to May 2016, with 76 percent of
students enrolled in higher education programs of study.
Seventy-seven percent of international students hailed from
Asia. Among continents, South America had the largest percentage increase (6.5
percent) in international students studying in the United States when compared
to May 2016.
China and India continue
to send the largest number of students to study in the United States, at 362,368
students and 206,698 students, respectively. And even with a 19 percent decline
– the steepest percentage decline among the top 10 Asian countries – Saudi
Arabia still had 55,806 students studying in the United States in May 2017,
ranking fourth among Asian countries. With an 18 percent increase, Nepal saw
the largest proportional growth in students coming to the United States.
Nearly 514,000 international students pursued science,
technology engineering or mathematics (STEM) degrees in May 2017, marking an 8
percent increase from May 2016. Thirty-nine percent of those students pursued
engineering degrees. India not only had the largest number of STEM students, but also
the largest proportional STEM student population; 84 percent of Indian students
in the United States studied STEM.
In May 2017, 10 U.S. universities certified to enroll only F
international students accounted for 10 percent of the entire international
student population. New York University (15,386 students), the University of
Southern California (13,365 students) and Northeastern University (12,372 students)
– all certified to enroll F students – had the highest international student
enrollment numbers among U.S. schools.
Nine percent of schools
can enroll both F and M international students. The top three schools in this
category included: Cornell University (5,716 students), the Houston Community
College System (4,768 students) and Santa Monica College (3,554 students).
The international student population in the Northeast
increased 4 percent when compared to May 2016, marking the highest proportional
growth of the four U.S. regions. Rhode Island was the only
state in the region to experience a dip in the number of international students
compared to the previous year, while New York and Massachusetts added the
largest number of international students during that same period, 4,490
students and 2,770 students, respectively. New Jersey saw an
increase of 10 percent in international students pursuing bachelor’s degrees.
In
the South, the international student population grew 3 percent since May 2016. Florida, Georgia and Texas all saw significant increases
in the number of international students studying in those states. While Louisiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma saw
decreases in the number of international students studying there..
Arkansas, Kentucky and
Maryland all saw major growth in international students taking part in their
higher education system. Maryland saw a 10 percent increase in the number of
students earning a bachelor’s degree. However, the southern region saw the
largest growth at the graduate degree level. The number of international
students pursuing master’s degrees increased 25 percent in Arkansas and 35
percent in Kentucky.
The Midwest saw minimal
growth of 1 percent. Illinois added 1,331 students to its international student
population, marking the largest increase in the region, while Nebraska
experienced the largest proportional growth of 7 percent. Missouri experienced
the largest decrease in international students, both in terms of student
numbers and proportional decline, 763 students and 3 percent, respectively.
In the western part of the
United States, international student enrollment stayed relatively static in
California, other than an 8 percent increase in the number of students earning
bachelor’s degrees. Idaho saw a 14 percent drop in the total number of
international students studying in the state, with a 16 percent decrease in the
number of students earning a bachelor’s degree. But, Nevada’s international
student population grew by 5 percent, marking the largest proportional growth
in the region.
The full “SEVIS by the Numbers” report can be viewed here.
Report data was extracted from SEVIS May 5. 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 November 2016.
Individuals can explore more international student data from
current and previous "SEVIS by the Numbers" reports by visiting the
Study in the States interactive mapping tool. This information
is accessible 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.
SEVP monitors the more than 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 SEVP and the Department of State 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 risks 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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