International Students Flock to American B-Schools

Beijing, China

Asia the Top Source for Business Majors

Not surprisingly, many of the world’s megacities are also the biggest sources for business students in the United States. With nearly 48 million people combined, Shanghai and Beijing rank #1 and #3 in business students, with 15,382 and 10,364 respectively (and Hong Kong holding the #10 spot with 3,710 students). Seoul, South Korea ranked #2 with 12,509 students, while Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh exported 6,510 students to American business schools. In fact, the top 10 cities could all be found in Asia.

When it comes to the cities with the highest percentage of F-1 students in American business schools, that honor belongs to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, where 65.2% of its 2,761 students are studying business. Recently, Mongolian Prime Minister Noroviin Altkhuyag announced that all government decisions would be based on one question: “How does this support private business?” If you couple that mindset with a fast growing economy driven by mining, the future looks promising for Mongolian business majors. Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi each sent 49.7% of their study abroad students into business, while China’s Ningbo, Dalian, and Fuzhou sent a collective 43% to American business programs.

Top 10 Source Cities of Foreign Business Students, 2008-2012

Source: Brookings