Increase In International Students

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8% to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008/09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report.

Among all the universities and colleges in the United States CSULB is No.51 with 2, 508 students.

Although overall there was an increase in International Students there were various campuses that reported a decline. "The campuses seeing declines noted varied effects of the current economic conditions and students’ concerns about the H1N1 virus, while those reporting increases cited increased recruitment efforts and the growing reputation and visibility of U.S. campuses abroad," according to a Open Doors report.

Despite the economic conditions that were cited students come to the United States for educational purposed and then may return to their home country for job opportunities, like Senior, Economics major, Kin Lui who said "I pay double what everyone else pays because I'm an international student, but I'm going to go back to Hong Kong once I'm done with my education."

Both International Students and American students can benefit from the diversity, through the opinions and experiences of their peers. Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO said in an Open Doors 2009 report of the Institute of International Education, ". Students from all over the world contribute substantially to their host campuses and to the U.S. economy. Their active engagement in our classrooms provides U.S. students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across political and cultural borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead.”

information taken from Open Doors 2009 Report based on U.S. universities and colleges