The Institute of International Education (IIE) has been conducting the report since 1972. This year, trends stayed on track, with an overall continued increase in international studies. The United States continues to be the most popular destination for international students.
“The United States is the number one destination for students seeking an international education. This is a testament to the strength of American universities and their reputations as global centers of innovation, knowledge and leadership worldwide,” said Dr. Rajika Bhandari, director of the IIE Center for Academic Mobility Research, in a phone call with the press.
U.S. students studying abroad continue to increase, ticking up 2.1 percent from the year before. “Right now we feel like we have a pretty low percentage of U.S. students studying abroad, and we would like to grow that number,” said Evan M. Ryan, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. “We think that many students view it as too prohibitive from a cost perspective.”
Even so, Ryan sees some improvement in the numbers. “International education is increasingly accessible to traditionally marginalized, under-represented students,” she said. According to IIE’s estimates, 9.4 percent of all U.S. undergraduates study abroad.
Students from the United States predominantly travel to Europe, although interest in “non-traditional” destinations has been growing. While 53 percent traveled to Europe, 16 percent went to Latin America and the Caribbean, and 12 percent went to Africa in 2012-13. The United Kingdom, Italy, and Spain are the top three most popular destinations for U.S. students.
With regards to which countries send the most students to the United States, China continues to lead the pack. Chinese students represent 31 percent of all international students studying in the United States.
