International Student Enrollment in American Universities During our secondary data research, we were enlightened about the many issues an international student faces when choosing a university. In this article we would first like to highlight the trends in international student enrollment in American universities. Next, we will discuss the benefits of studying in the USA. Finally, we would like to list some of the many reasons why an international student may choose a particular university. Trends in Enrollment Studying enrollment trends in international student cohorts shows how changes in a university's environment and characteristics will affect its total enrollment numbers (Paulsen ). According to the Institute for International Education, the number of international students studying at American colleges and universities increased 5.1 percent in the 1997-98 school year, reaching a total of 481,280 (Honan). Fifty percent of these students enter universities as undergraduates, while the remainder enter to pursue graduate or professional education. (edupass.org) Surprisingly, fifty percent of these college students are enrolled in community colleges (Backman, 1984), and, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, twice as many international students are enrolled in community colleges as there were ten years ago ( Desruissueaux, 1998). The increase in enrollment can be attributed to many factors. William Honan of the New York Times attributes this increase in enrollment to increased overseas recruiting, the Asian economic crisis and declining costs of community colleges. Economic factors can influence enrollment trends more than any other factor. For example, enrollment can be positively effected by decreasing opportunities...... middle of paper ......Paulsen, M. B. (1990, May). Understanding student enrollment behavior. (ED 333 845) Paulsen Michael B. and Thomas F. Pogue. 1998. “Higher Education Enrollment: The Interaction of Labor Market Conditions, Curriculum, and Selectivity.” Economics of Education Review 7(3): 275-290Manski, Charles F. and David A Wise. 1983. “College Choice in America. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Backman, E. L. “Approaches to International Education.” New York: Macmillan, 1984. Author unknown. “Why study abroad?” Author unknown. “Advantages of US Education” Zikopoulos, Marianthi and Barber, Elinor G. (1986). Choose schools from afar. (ED 272 082) Honan, William H., “Study Finds Increase in Number of Foreign Students at U.S. Colleges,” New York Times, December 7, 1998. McDonnell, Mike. “Things to consider when evaluating colleges.”