WASHINGTON - The number of international students studying in the US is at a record high with nearly one-third coming from China, ranking first in 2013-2014 academic year, according to a report released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) on Monday.

The IIE report showed that a record number of 886,052 international students came to the US in the 2013-2014 academic year to pursue studies in various academic courses, an increase of 8.1 percent over the previous year.

Topping the list is China, which has 274,439 students studying in the US, an increase of 16.5 percent over the previous year. China accounted for 31 percent of the total international students, the report said.

China is followed by a distant India, which sent 102,673 students in the year 2013-2014, an increase of 6.1 percent over the previous year, reversing a three-year trend of declining numbers of Indian students at the US universities, it said.

In the previous year, international students contributed some $27 billion to the US economy, the report said.

According to the report, the US hosts more of the world's 4.5 million globally mobile college and university students than any other country in the world, almost doubling the figure hosted by Britain, the second leading host country.

Meanwhile, the number of US students studying abroad has more than doubled in the last 15 years to a total of 289,408 in academic year 2012 to 2013, with Britain, Italy, Spain, France and China as the top five destinations, the report said.

The Open Doors report is published annually by the IIE in partnership with the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

"International experience is one of the most important components of a 21st century education, and study abroad should be viewed as an essential element of a college degree," said IIE President Allan Goodman.

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