The United States continues to enjoy growing popularity as a study destination with a record high of 974 926 international students enrolled in US colleges and universities during the 2014-15 academic year, according to the 2015 edition of the Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) on November 16.  Fuelled mostly by growing numbers of students from India, China and Brazil, the increase in international students by 10% compared to the previous year marks the largest growth in 35 years. These figures confirm the US as an unrivalled leader in international higher education, succeeding to attract almost twice as many international students as the United Kingdom, the second most popular destination. 

International students now make up almost 5% of the more than 20 million students enrolled in U.S. higher education. China, India, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are the top feeder countries for international students on American campuses, with Chinese and Indian students accounting for 45% of all international students in the US. The highest numbers of international students are hosted by New York University, University of Southern California, Columbia University, Arizona State University and University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, each enrolling more than 11 000 international students.