The 10 foreign countries that send the most students to American colleges
The trend is noteworthy in light of President Donald Trump's executive order, which aims to bar citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from entering the US for 90 days.
The future of the ban is currently in limbo. On Thursday, a federal appeals court upheld a freeze on the ban, stymieing White House efforts to block new visa issuances to citizens on the six countries.
Still, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, and experts believe the ban could have far-reaching implications on enrollment at US colleges.
According to data from the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), foreign students in the US were up 7.1% this year from academic year 2015-2016, with 1,043,839 students total. International students now make up 5.2% of all higher education students in the US.
The influx of foreign students is vital for American universities, and especially public universities, which have become increasingly dependent on foreign students to fund their budgets.
Here are the 10 foreign countries that send the most students to American colleges: