A globalized economy means we’re all equally subject to hefty tuition bills. Last week, the Washington Business Journal reported that foreign students contributed about $17.6 billion to the American Economy last year, making higher education one of the United States’ top service sector exports.

Students attending schools in DC contributed about $304 million, and the 1,804 foreign students who attended Georgetown University last year contributed $59.7 million in enrollment, tuition, fees and living expenses. Georgetown’s international students were second on the impact list for the District, trailing students from George Washington University, who contributed about $92.3 million.

A report by the Institute of International Education found that the number of foreign students studying in the US rose over eight percent last year, the highest yearly gain since 1980.

According to data from Georgetown’s Office of International Programs, 16 percent of the students who attended Georgetown University during last year’s fall semester were undergraduates while 55 percent were graduate students. They represented 124 different countries, and South Korea (199 students), China (161 students), and India (142 students) were the most highly represented.

Photo by Flickr user bradipo, used under a Creative Commons license.