AIT Press Release #: PR-1843
November 14, 2018
2018 OPEN DOORS REPORT: Taiwan students in USA increase for third consecutive year; Number of U.S. students in Taiwan also grows
According to the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange data released yesterday by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education, the total number of Taiwan students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities increased for the third year in a row in the 2017-2018 academic year. Taiwan was the seventh largest source of international students in the United States for a fourth consecutive year. According to the 2018 Open Doors Report, there were 22,454 Taiwan students enrolled at U.S. institutions, an increase of 4.4 percent over the prior year.
During the 2017-2018 academic year, the largest portion of Taiwan students in the United States (41.1 percent) were enrolled in graduate study. Over 31 percent of all Taiwan students in the United States were undergraduates, a 7 percent increase over the prior year; 20 percent of Taiwan students participated in Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs (an increase of 6.5 percent). Taiwan student numbers increased at all levels except non-degree programs. 7.7 percent of all Taiwan students enrolled in non-degree programs, a decrease of 4.4 percent from the previous year.
International education is a two-way exchange. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the number of U.S. students enrolled for academic credit at colleges or universities in Taiwan surpassed the 1,000 mark for the first time, reaching 1,002, an increase of 2.2 percent over the previous year.
This year, the total number of international students in the United States continued to grow, reaching 1,094,792 – an increase of 1.5 percent from the previous year.
The top places of origin for international students studying in the United States were China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil. The top host states were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. For more data, infographics, and resources, please visit https://www.iie.org/OpenDoors.
The Open Doors Report, compiled annually by the Institute of International Education, is a comprehensive information resource on international students at higher education institutions in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at colleges or universities.
The release of the 2018 Open Doors Report is a part of International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to promote international educational exchange from November 12th to 16th, 2018.
For information about AIT’s IEW activities, please see AIT Press Release: AIT Celebrates 2018 International Education Week, November 12th-16th, 2018 .
