Foreign students majoring in Chinese celebrate their commencement at Xi'an Jiaotong University on July 7, 2012. [Photo/CFP]

Many international students also said they decided to study in China because of the significant amount of financial support from the Chinese authorities and universities.

Asheida Charles, 29, from the Caribbean nation of Grenada is one example. Charles, who arrived in September, is studying international communication at Communication University of China.

"I chose China because of the attractive scholarship package offered to international students," she said. "The quality of education is also impressive."

But a survey by the Center for China and Globalization, a Beijing think tank, shows that international students make up less than 1 percent of the students at Chinese colleges and universities.

Chen Zhiwen, chief editor of eol.cn, China's largest education portal, said African and Oceanian students' interest in China began late, leading to an apparent increase in students from the two regions coming to study in the country in recent years.

"On the other hand, the number of students from the Americas, especially from the US, has continued to grow for quite a few years."

Zhang Beixi contributed to this story.