International students temporarily reside in the United States to attend a postsecondary institution. They enroll full-time in degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as certain non-degree programs. International students typically leave the country after completing their education, though some may find employment and remain in the U.S. for a period after their graduation. Since they are neither U.S. Citizens nor Lawful Permanent Residents ("Green Card" holders), international students must have a visa to study at a college or university in the U.S. The Department of State has three broad visa categories that prospective international students can apply for. F Visa This category is for foreign students enrolled full-time in an academic program at an accredited U.S. postsecondary institution. J Visa The J visa is an exchange program for students from abroad at the high school or college level. M Visa M visa holders pursue a non-academic or vocational course of study in the U.S. International Students by Country A majority of international students come from China and India, as well as countries like Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Brazil, and Mexico. China 317,299 India 167,582 South Korea 39,491 Canada 25,143 Saudi Arabia 21,933 Vietnam 21,631 Taiwan 19,673 Brazil 14,000 Mexico 12,986 Nigeria 12,860 Source: Open Doors Popular Fields of Study for International Students Perhaps given the increasing popularity of STEM fields, it's no surprise that a majority of international students choose to major in fields like engineering and computer science. Many also end up studying business subjects. Engineering 20.9% Math and Computer Science 19.9% Business Management 15.9% Social Sciences 8.4% Physical and Life Sciences 8.2% Source: Open Doors Popular Schools for International Students New York University is home to the highest number of international students in the U.S. Other popular schools include Columbia University and the University of Southern California. The states of California and New York together host over 200,000 international students. New York University 17,050 Northeastern University 15,880 Columbia University 15,015 University of Southern California 14,992 Arizona State University 13,015 Source: Open Doors