INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION
Educational Exchange Data from Open Doors 2012
In the 2011/12 academic year, 194,029 students from China were studying in the United States (up 23%from the previous year). China remains the leading place of origin for studentscoming to the United States.
Academic Level: While the majority of Chinese students study at thegraduate level, the U.S. continues to experience an upsurge in the number ofundergraduate students coming from China. In 2011/12, their breakdown was asfollows:
38.4% undergraduate
45.6% graduatestudents
6.5% other
9.5% OPT (Optional Practical Training)
Historicaltrends: Chinasent no students to the U.S. from the 1950s until 1974/75. In the 1980s,numbers of Chinese students grew dramatically, and in 1988/89, China displacedTaiwan as the leading sender remaining the leading place of origin until it wasdisplaced by Japan in 1994/95. In 1998/99, China became the leading senderagain for three years, through 2000/01. In 2001/02, India became the top senderof students to the U.S. and retained that position for eight years, through2008/09. In 2009/10, China again became the top sending country, and retains thatplace for the third year in a row in 2011/12.
Year
# of Students
From China
% Change from Previous Year
# of U.S. Study Abroad Students Going to Chin
2011/12
194,029
23.1%
n/a
2010/11
157,558
23.5%
14,596
2009/10
127,628
29.9%
13,910
2008/09
98,235
21.1%
13,674
2007/08
81,127
19.8%
13,188
2006/07
67,723
8.2%
11,064
2005/06
62,582
0.1%
8,830
2004/05
62,523
1.2%
6,391
2003/04
61,765
-4.6%
4,737
2002/03
64,757
2.4%
2,493
2001/02
63,211
5.5%
3,911
2000/01
59,939
10.0%
2,942
1999/00
54,466
6.8%
2,949
1998/99
51,001
8.6%
2,278
1997/98
46,958
10.5%
2,116
1996/97
42,503
7.3%
1,627
1995/96
39,613
-
1,396
Note:Study abroad figures from Open Doorsreflect credit given by U.S. campuses during the survey year to their studentswho studied abroad in the academic year just completed, including the summerterm. Study abroad in 2010/11 will be reported in Open Doors 2012, once credit is awarded by the home campus. Thesharp decline in study abroad during 2002/03 reflects the closing of mostprograms in China in response to the SARS epidemic. Once programs reopened, thenumbers of American students rebounded.
