Korean Students Largest Ethnic Group in US for Three Years

The number of Korean students in the United States hit a record high of 110,000 last year, the largest foreign students' group there for three years in a row, a U.S. immigration office said Tuesday.

According to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a total of 110,083 Koreans were staying in America on a student visa as of the end of last year, accounting for 15.2 percent of 722,272 foreign students there.

The office said the 6.5 percent rise in the number of Korean students in 2008 was the lowest in four years, compared with double-digit increases between 2005 and 2007.

Indian students formed the second largest ethnic group with around 100,000 members, followed by Chinese, Japanese and Canadians, ICE said.

Business administration was the most sought-after subject among foreign students, with more than 145,800 students selecting it as their major.