While the number of U.S. students studying abroad continues to rise, foreign student enrollments in U.S. colleges and universities last year declined slightly for the second year in a row, a report says.

International enrollments appear to be leveling off, says Open Doors 2006, released today by the Institute of International Education and funded by the State Department. Other surveys suggest foreign enrollments are holding steady or even rebounding.

The number of foreign students enrolled in U.S. institutions dropped 1.3% last year, to 565,039, after a 2.4% decline the year before, the report says.

International enrollments peaked at 586,323 in the 2002-03 academic year, it says.

In an informal survey of more than 950 U.S. colleges and universities released jointly today by seven higher-education groups, 40% reported that the number of new international students rose this year, 34% that it stayed about the same, and 26% reported a decline.

Overall declines in recent years have been attributed to several factors, including real or perceived difficulties in obtaining student visas, rising tuitions and growing competition from other countries, Open Doors says.

But "strong recruitment, combined with more efficient and transparent student visa processes, have begun to stem the tide," IIE president Allan Goodman says.

Meanwhile, the number of U.S. students earning credit abroad increased 9.6% in 2003-04, to a record 191,321, the report says.

While 61% of students studied in Europe, more are choosing non-traditional destinations. Study in China, for example, increased by 90% - an "encouraging example of rebound," the report says, noting that the SARS epidemic closed many programs in 2003.

Michael Falcone contributed reporting from Berkeley, Calif., for this article.

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