New data from NAFSA: Association of International Educators states that international students benefit the U.S. economy by spending $17.6 Billion annually. Based on data from the 2008-2009 year, the report shows that students do much more than bring talented ideas to the U.S. The economic impact of hosting foreign scholars is immense!

http://www.nafsa.org/publicpolicy/default.aspx?id=17174

In a similar report, the Institute of International Education reported in it’s 2009 Open Doors report that enrollment in American education is at an all time high:

“I am delighted to see the large increase in the number of international students who are choosing to study in the United States,” said Judith A. McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. “The all-time high number of international students who studied here in the 2008/09 academic year testifies to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world. The Department of State actively promotes the benefits of an American education.

IIE also collects data on the top sending countries around the world. Interested in their “Top 10 List”?

Rank
Place of Origin
1
India
2
China
3
South Korea
4
Canada
5
Japan
6
Taiwan
7
Mexico
8
Turkey
9
Vietnam
10
Saudi Arabia

For more information, please visit: http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org/