Enrollment of Saudi students at US schools in decline

By Vakkas Dogantekin

ANKARA (AA) - Enrollment of students from Saudi Arabia at U.S. schools has fallen significantly compared to the previous school year, according to a report made public Monday.

The 2019 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange said 37,080 Saudi students, down 16.5 %, chose to study in American schools.

It revealed China remained the largest source of international students in the U.S. with 369,548 students in undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, and optional practical training (OPT) programs.

Chinese students have been leading the chart for an astonishing tenth consecutive year, 1.7% increase from last year.

China was followed by India that sent 202,014 students and South Korea with 52,250 students.

Other top markets for American schools have been Canada, Bangladesh, Brazil, Nigeria and Pakistan.

The annually published report said the number of international students in the U.S. set an all-time high in the 2018-19 academic year, with a total 1,095,299 students, a 0.05% increase over last year.

Released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the report added that the international students make up 5.5% of the total U.S. higher education population.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, international students contributed $44.7 billion to the U.S. economy in 2018, an increase of 5.5% from the previous year.