WASHINGTON (Yonhap) ― The number of South Korean students studying in the United States fell sharply from the previous quarter to levels seen nine years ago, according to a report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

As of July 8, South Korean students enrolled in U.S. schools on an F (academic) or M (vocational) visa totaled 83,902, an 8 percent drop from 91,583 in April, according to the ICE’s quarterly report on international students in the U.S.

The number of South Korean students in the U.S. had risen steadily in the 2000s from about 70,000 in 2004 to 80,000 in 2005 and to over 110,000 in 2008. But the number fell below 100,000 in the second quarter of 2012.

Compared with April’s statistics, South Korea and Vietnam had the greatest percentage decrease in students studying in the United States at 8 and 7 percent, respectively, according to the ICE report.

South Korean students accounted for 45 percent of all international students in theology and religious vocations programs.

Overall, a total of 966,333 international students were enrolled in nearly 9,000 U.S. schools using an F or M visa.

Seventy-five percent of all international students were from Asia, with 28 percent or 270,684 students from China, according to the report.

The University of Southern California, Purdue University, the University of Illinois, New York University and Columbia University ranked one through five among U.S. schools with the most international students, the report said.