Survey Summary: Students and Scholars from the People's Republic of China in the United States, August 1981.

A survey of 313 American colleges and universities thought to have accepted students and/or scholars from the People's Republic of China (PRC) was conducted in March 1981 by the U.S.-China Education Clearinghouse. Usable responses were received from 164 institutions. The responses indicated that a total of 3,467 PRC students and scholars were served from 1978 through 1981. Of this total, 399 were undergraduates, 656 were graduate students, and 1,945 were visiting scholars. Twenty-six percent of the scholars and students from China attend schools in the Far West (primarily in California); the next heaviest concentrations are in New York, New England, and the upper Midwest). Most students and scholars from China are concentrated in relatively few schools. A large majority of all PRC students and scholars are in mathematics, physical science, or engineering disciplines; a far smaller proportion are in the life sciences. However, graduate students in the humanities have increased from 0.5 percent in 1979-80 to 15 percent in 1981-82. Sixty-five percent of the PRC scholars on American campuses in 1979-81 were fully supported by the Chinese government and an additional seven percent received partial support. Additional information covers: English language skills, admissions policies and procedures, visas, and agreements between Chinese and American institutions. (SW)