Report: GMU Has Highest International Enrollment in NOVA

George Mason University topped a new list on Monday, earning a nod for having the highest number of international students among all state colleges and universities in Northern Virginia.

According to a recent study by nonprofit Institute of International Education, GMU topped the list with an international student enrollment of 2,159.

The 2012 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange -- published annually by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs -- shows nearly 15,170 international students enrolled in state schools in the 2011-12 school year, a one percent increase from the 2010-11 school year.

The number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities nationwide rose six percent to a record 764,495 in 2011-12.

Virginia Tech in Blacksburg led all schools in the state with 2,578 students. Other Virginia schools included the University of Virginia in Charlottesville with 2,141 and Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond with 1,647.

In Northern Virginia, the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College fell just behind GMU, with 1,446 students.

According to the Virginian-Pilot, the number of international students students rose about 6 percent at Virginia Tech while VCU saw an 8 percent drop, the biggest decrease in the state.

Virginia ranks 14th in the U.S. for international student enrollment, with institutions in California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois rounding out the top five choices for international students.

About 22 percent of international students chose business and management as their field of study, according to the report. A total of 18.5 percent chose engineering and 9.3 percent chose math and computer science.

According to the report, students from China comprise nearly 19 percent of Virginia’s international student enrollment, followed by India at more than 13 percent, South Korea with about 11 percent, Saudi Arabia with more than 6 percent and Vietnam with 3 percent.

Virginia students, though, aren't going abroad at quite the same rate: The number of Virginia students studying abroad fell 6 percent to 8,283 in the 2010-11 school year, the report also states.