More and More International Students Coming to U.S.

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Friday, 12 October 2007

After a drop following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the number of international students studying at U.S. universities is starting to rebound.

The government has made it somewhat easier for students to get visas, and the United States seems more welcoming than it did a few years ago, said Juanita Hall, director of multicultural and international programs for California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

"Things have gotten easier since right after 9/11, when there was a lot of competition," Hall said. "The government made it so difficult to get a visa. The U.S. didn't seem like a friendly place. It was kind of a hostile environment."

Nationally, the number of international students dropped 2.4 percent in 2003-04 and 1.3 percent the following year, according to the Institute of International Education.

Enrollment started leveling off last year, and the institute expects it to grow this year, based on the number of student visas being issued.

The international students come from around the world, but primarily from India, China, the Republic of Korea and Japan.

They're drawn to U.S. graduate programs in science or business that may not be available in their own countries, said Peggy Blumenthal, executive vice president of the Institute of International Education.

Or they may simply find the American teaching style, which focuses on discussion and hands-on learning, more appealing than traditional lectures.

"International students come to the U.S. for the kind of education they couldn't get at home," Blumenthal said.

California is the most popular destination for international students, with USC as the top choice.

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