Its fall 1998 foreign student enrollment of 1,880 includes citizens of 107 countries from all over the world. Recently, HCCS conducted a non-scientific survey of foreign students. The questionnaire asked them to identify their age, ethnicity, gender, family income status, occupation and major. It also asked them why they chose to come to Houston, how they heard about HCCS and what was the driving force in their decision to become an international student. Most of these students learned about community colleges only through word of mouth.
Community colleges remain somewhat of a mystery in other parts of the world.
However, this is beginning to change. In the last year, there has been an increase of nine percent in international student enrollment in American community colleges, while growth in traditional enrollment at most community colleges, and especially at most universities, has slowed. Most students reported that they already knew someone in Houston prior to coming to study, many of whom were working for the booming energy industry in Houston. Due to Houston s strong economy and affordable living conditions, it has attracted a rapidly growing, ethnically diverse international community of its own. Many of HCCS s students find it appealing and comfortable coming to a city where they can find familiar faces.