Number of overseas students in US reaches all-time high

The number of international students in US colleges and universities increased by seven percent to a record high of 819,644 in the 2012/13 academic year, the US Institute of International Education said Monday.

In its 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, the institute said the number of students increased by 55,000 over the previous year, and that this growth was mainly fueled by students from China, Xinhua reported.

Enrollments of Chinese students increased by 21 percent to almost 235,000 with a 26 percent rise at the undergraduate level, it added.

Asia is where a significant portion of international students to the US come from. According to the report, students from the top three places of origin -- China, India and South Korea -- now represent 49 percent of the total number of international students in the country, though the numbers from the latter two have decreased.

The report also noted that US students studying abroad in academic year 2011/12 reached 283,332, up three percent from the previous year and also an all-time high.

Britain remains the top destination for US students studying abroad, followed by Italy, Spain and France.