Old ally sends droves of students to US

Which European country sends more students to US universities than any other? Is it Britain, which shares a common language and a reverence for ancient collegiate campuses? Or Germany, whose great research universities did so much to shape US higher education? The answer, it turns out, is neither, writes DD Guttenplan for The New York Times.

Although Britain sent more than 9,000 students to the United States last year – more than ever before – and Germany sent about 9,300, both lagged behind Turkey, which has been sending more than 10,000 students a year to the US since 2000.

At one time, France and Germany were popular destinations for Turkish students, but the increasing popularity of English as a second language helps pull students to America. Britain’s appeal as an alternative has been diminished by recent changes to student visa rules.
Full report on The New York Times site