According to the Institute of International Education's annual report, US universities are hosting a growing number of students from China, making China, for the first time, the top country of origin for international students。

　　Chinese citizens comprise about 19 percent of the international students in the US, the highest percentage of any country. India and South Korea are next, accounting for 15 percent and 10 percent, respectively。

　　"The number of students from China is booming, because of that booming Chinese economy," said Peggy Blumenthal, executive vice president of the institute. "I think one factor is the great number of Chinese families with disposable income, two working parents and only one child, and a determination to invest their money to make sure that child receives the best education possible."

　　David B. Austell, director of the Office for International Students and Scholars at New York University, said the Chinese undergraduates came primarily from the large urban areas on China's coast. Because they are not eligible for the same financial aid as Americans and usually pay full tuition, he said, their growing presence is an indicator of just how many Chinese families are financially strong。

　　Most foreign students study business and management, followed by engineering, physical and life sciences, and math and computer science. Overall, they contribute nearly $20 billion to the US economy through tuition, room and board, and other expenses, according to the US Department of Commerce。

　　美联社15日报道称，美国国际教育学会年度报告显示，在美国留学的中国学生逐年增多，致使中国首次成为在美留学生的最大来源国。

　　据了解，中国公民在美国的国际学生中所占比例约为19%，该比例高于任何其他国家。而印度、韩国分居第二和第三，所占比例分别为15%和10%。

　　“来自中国的学生数量猛增，是因为中国经济正在迅猛发展，”国际教育学会执行副总裁佩姬-布鲁门萨尔说。“我认为一个因素在于，许多中国家庭拥有可观的可支配收入(父母都有工作、只有一个孩子)，以及一种为确保孩子接受尽可能最好的教育而将金钱投资到孩子身上的决心。”

　　戴维-B-奥斯特尔是纽约大学国际学生和学者办公室主任，他说中国学生主要来自沿海大城市。因为他们没有资格获得像美国学生那样的财政援助，所以往往要支付全额学费。他说中国学生日益增多不过是有更多中国家庭拥有雄厚经济实力的标志。

　　据悉，大多数外国学生在美国学习商务以及管理课程，其次是工程学、物理学以及生命科学，再次便是数学和计算机科学。根据美国商务部发布的信息，这些留学生的学费、住宿和伙食费以及其他费用给美国经济贡献了近200亿美元。