5 U.S. States That Attract the Most International Students

Between the years of 2016 and 2017, the Institute of International Education reported that there were 1,078,822 international students currently studying across all fifty U.S. states. It appeared that many students were attracted to the large city life of cities in California, New York, and Texas, as opposed to smaller colleges in their hometowns across the globe.  With the majority of international students being from China and India, students come from all across the globe to study and succeed here in the U.S.

Here are the most popular states that international students chose for their undergraduate studies and the reasons behind them:

1. California

Regardless of the county, California proved to attract the most international students out of all fifty states, with a total of 156,879 international students in the 2016-2017 academic year. Regarding the reason behind this, California is still seen as the stereotypical state of opportunity and success. Many people from across the globe venture to this state seeking success, perhaps the reason behind being the highest host of international students across the entire U.S.

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California

2. New York

Similar to California, New York is still seen as a place of opportunity and success, stereotypically. Housing 118,000 international students, New York provides an upscale, yet urban, city experience that many students dream about traveling to during their lifetime, much less living. Attracting many students for arts and communication degrees, New York is the second highest choice among international students for a state of choice when studying in the U.S.

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3. Texas

Texas has been regarded as the hub for international students pursuing engineering and technology degrees, ranking this state as the third most populous for international students in the U.S. large city living is a big attraction factor here, as well as the opportunity for internships and jobs during an academic career.

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4. Massachusetts

Attracting many for the highly prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts is the state with the fastest and highest growing population of international students. The Boston Globe reported that the larger intake of international students admitted to institutions in Massachusetts is part of a strategy to intentionally increase foreign presence in order to “prepare students to work in an increasingly global society.”

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Massachusetts

5. Florida

Whilst many students don’t necessarily choose Florida for its academics, many choose here for the weather and variety that the state offers. Florida is not the most populous state for international students, however, it does accommodate 43,000 of them, according to eShipGlobal.

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Photo by Monica Silvestre from Pexels

Selecting a college is a personal experience and decision. Students have to decide, for themselves, what they are looking for. Are they looking for the best-renowned college for their desired major/career? Are they looking for the area in which they are guaranteed a job after graduation? Are they looking for a complete change of scenery from their hometown?

College is a time of trial and error, as well as a time to figure out who you are and where you want to go. This is an important decision so make sure you choose the college and the path that is right for you.