USC again hosts most international students, report says

USC frequently touts the fact that it enrolls the most international students out of any other American institution.

And for the eighth year, the university has done it again.

According to the annual Open Doors report released today by the Institute of International Education, 7,482 international students attended the university in the 2008-2009 academic year.

New York University came in second place, with 6,761 students, and Columbia University in third, with 6,685 students.

The next California school on the list was UCLA, which came in eighth place with 5,590 international students.

USC also set two records in terms of enrollments by country. There are 1,623 Indian students at USC — the largest segment of the university’s international population. Students from China make up the second-largest group of international students at USC, at 1,428.

According to an article posted on USC’s website, officials said the university’s reputation on the Pacific Rim and an expanding alumni base in China and Indian that increases recruiting efforts helps USC attract high levels of students from these two countries.

“USC has long been a leader in attracting international students from all corners of the globe,” said C. L. Max Nikias, executive vice president and provost, in the article. “These students bring a wide range of ideas and beliefs to our campuses, as well as an abundance of intelligence and creativity. Not only do they benefit from their experience at USC, but they offer our domestic students a rich resource for teaching and learning.”

The survey also showed that the number of international students at about 3,000 institutions in the United States rose 8 percent from last year, setting a new record of 671,616 students.