U.S. universities are enrolling a new wave of Chinese undergraduates, according to the annual Open Doors report.

While India was, for the eighth consecutive year, the leading country of origin for international students--sending 103,260 students, a 9% increase from the previous year—China is rapidly catching up, sending 98,510 last year, a 21% increase.

Even Chinese high schoolers are coming to the US! 
These students were enrolled in a summer program at
Cornell University.

China sent 26,275 undergraduates and 57,451 graduate students to the United States last year—compared to 8,034 undergraduates and 50,976 graduate students five years earlier.

“I think we’re going to be seeing 100,000 students from each for years to come, with an increasing share of them being undergraduates,” said Petty Blumenthal, Executive Vice President of the Institute of International Education, which publishes the report with the support of the State Department.

Overall, the number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008-09 academic year—the largest percentage increase in more than 25 years, according to the report.

With the current recession, the influx of international students has been especially important to the U.S. economy, according to Allan. E. Goodman, President of the institute.

And check out this recent story from USA Today on Chinese students studying in the U.S.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-12-08-1Achinesestudents08_CV_N.htm