The number of international students studying at US colleges and universities surpassed 1 million during the 2015-16 academic year, according to data released this week.

The milestone — captured in the most recent Open Doors report — represents a 7 percent increase over the previous year, with international students now accounting for 5 percent of the total student population on American college campuses.

“International students value the quality, diversity, and strong reputation of US institutions and recognize that these institutions will give them opportunities that can help them not only in their education but also in their careers,” said Allan Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education, which published the report.

Other top findings include:

• STEM fields continue to be a popular draw. More than a third of all international students enrolled at US institutions in 2015-16 studied engineering, math, or computer science.

• Students from China and India remained the leading countries of origin for international students studying in the states.

• Saudi Arabia’s government-sponsored international scholarship program helped the country surpass South Korea to become the third largest sender of international students to the US.

• International students bring nearly $36 billion to the US economy, according to the US Department of Commerce.

• American students are also increasingly seeking international education opportunities. In 2014-15, some 313,415 US students studied abroad for academic credit.

Explore data from the new report.

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.