Number of Foreign Students Attending US Colleges Reaches All-Time High

More than 800,000 of them

While families continue to complain about the cost of a college education, American colleges and universities have never been more popular with international students.

The number of foreigners studying in schools here reached a record high of 819,644 students during the 2012-2013 academic year, which represents a seven percent increase, according to the annual Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, which is a joint effort by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State.

The number of Americans studying abroad also reached an all-time high, although the number pales in comparison to foreign interest in our schools. U.S. students studying elsewhere jumped by three percent to 283,332. Less than 10 percent of American college students study abroad.