Report shows jump in Chinese students going to the US

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Thanks to the rising family incomes, China continues to send more students to universities and colleges in the United States than any other nation.

During the 2017-13 academic year, Chinese student enrollments increased by a hefty 21.4 percent annually to more than 235,000, according to the 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released on Monday.

According to the report from the Institute of International Education, the number of international students enrolled in US establishments of higher education in the academic year rose 7.2percent to more than 819,000.

Of all international students in the US, 28.7 percent were from China. The rise in the number of undergraduate students from China was especially dramatic, increasing by 26 percent from the previous year.

Consultants said the number of Chinese students pursuing undergraduate education in the US had increased rapidly mainly because of the growing Chinese economy, as the cost of a four-year education in the US for a Chinese child is typically more than 1 million yuan ($163,000).

A breakdown of the figures shows that 39.8 percent of Chinese students in the US were undergraduates, while 43.9 percent were graduates. The remainder included 10.2 percent in optional practical training, a US policy for international students on F-1 visas to work in the US for one year after graduation to get practical training to complement their field of study.

The report shows that students from the top three countries of origin - China, India and South Korea - now account for 49 percent of the total number of international students in the US.

Questions:

1. How many Chinese students attended US universities in the 2017-13 academic year?

2. Why has the number of Chinese students in the US grown so rapidly?

3. Which countries send the most students to US universities?

Answers:

1. More than 235,000

2. Mainly because of the growing Chinese economy

3. China, India and South Korea

About the broadcaster:

Anne Ruisi is an editor at China Daily online with more than 30 years of experience as a newspaper editor and reporter. She has worked at newspapers in the U.S., including The Birmingham News in Alabama and City Newspaper of Rochester, N.Y.