By the numbers: Purdue-China connection
2,062 -- People's Republic of China students enrolled at Purdue University in fall 2010*
6,761 -- International students at Purdue
30.5 -- Percentage of international students who are Chinese enrolled at Purdue as of fall 2010
2nd -- Purdue rank among public U.S. colleges by number of international students enrolled 2010-11
200 -- Purdue University students who studied abroad in China during 2010-11 school year (most in any one country)
$28,646 -- Annual tuition an international student will pay to attend Purdue starting this fall (more if they are studying engineering)
111 -- China-born faculty at Purdue
184 -- Chinese visiting scholars at Purdue this past school year
1911 -- Year the first international Chinese student attended Purdue University
74 -- Percent of Chinese students at Purdue who are majoring in engineering, science or management
6,800 -- International undergraduate applications for the 2011-12 school year
50 -- Percentage (approximate) of undergraduate applications submitted by Chinese students.
• Does not include 51 students from Hong Kong and three from Macau, both of which are Special Administrative Regions (SAR) of the People's Republic of China.
Source: Purdue University
Only one application mattered to Xian Zhn when he decided to leave Beijing two years ago for an American university.
"Of course, Purdue -- it was my first choice," Zhn said last week after taking a class to shore up his English skills. "I have friends here, and it is a very good school, indeed. It has a reputation in China for the best in chemistry, management, engineering and other. That is why I am here."
Zhn's story about coming to Purdue University is becoming a familiar refrain. This past year, more than 2,180 students from China, Hong Kong and Macao made West Lafayette their home away from home, a number that could hit 3,000 in a year or two. Already, this fall's class of freshman from abroad is expected to be at least 50 percent Chinese.
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