Around 128,000 Chinese students study in US

The number of Chinese students enrolled in U.S. institutions of higher education in October 2010 increased from more than 98,000 to nearly 128,000, representing an increase of 30 percent from a year earlier, and placing China as the top country of origin of international students in the United States, according to the "2010 Open Doors Report" published on the U.S. Embassy in China website on Nov. 15.

The report shows that the total number of international students studying at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3 percent to a record high of nearly 691,000 in the 2009/2010 academic year.

A 30 percent increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United State was the main contributor to this year's growth. The figure has reached nearly 128,000 students and accounts for more than 18 percent of the total international students in the United States, which makes China the leading source of international students in the country.

Thomas Skipper, counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said, "The U.S. remains the preferred destination for students from China who want to study abroad because of the quality and prestige associated with an American degree."

The report also shows that a total of nearly 14,000 American students enrolled in colleges and universities in China in September 2008, a 4 percent increase from a year earlier. China is the fifth largest destination of American students studying abroad and the only Asian country in the top 10 destinations.

By People's Daily Online