I am America and so can you, international students of the world!

A recent study published by the Institute of International Education — a private nonprofit organization that offers fellowships and issues data related to international education — found that the number of international students enrolled in American colleges increased by 5 percent in the 2010-11 academic year to 723,277, up two percent from the previous year and 32 percent from a decade ago. According to a Monday press release by the IIE, most of the growth was caused by increasing numbers of Chinese students, especially undergraduates, who increased by 23 percent in total to 157,558 students and by 43 percent at the undergraduate level.

“It is positive news that our higher education institutions continue to excel in attracting students from all over the world, and in preparing American students to succeed in an increasingly global environment,” said Allan Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education in the press release. “Educational exchange in both directions furthers business and cultural ties between the United States and other countries.”

Among the Ivies in 2010-11, the study reported that Yale had 2,254 international students, to Harvard’s 5,594 and Princeton’s 1,661 international students.

California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois were the five states that took the top spots for hosting international students, with the University of Southern California leading the pack for the tenth year in a row, with an international enrollment 8,615. The top two fields of study for international students were Business and Management (22 percent) and Engineering (19 percent). Women represented about 45 percent of the total number of international students.

The press release also stated that international students contribute more than $21 billion to the U.S. economy, through the money they spend on tuition, living expenses, books and supplies, transportation, and health insurance.