China Passes India in Sending Students to US

China has surpassed India as the main source of foreign students coming to the United States to attend college.

A report by a group that promotes international student exchange says nearly 128,000 Chinese students attended U.S. colleges in the 2009-2010 academic year, up 30 percent. India sent about 105,000 students to the U.S. in the same period.

India had been at the top of the list since 2001-2002.

Chinese students made up 19 percent of the foreign students in the United States last year. It had the biggest increase — 30 percent — among the 25 countries that send students to the U.S.

Saudi Arabia followed, with an increase of 25 percent. Japan had the largest decline, 15 percent.

The University of Southern California hosts more foreign students than any other college.

Some information in this story was provided by Bloomberg.