Foreign students are feeling more and more at home at Stanford and other American universities, according to a new report by the U.S. Government. Enrollment by foreign students nationwide increased 3.2 percent this past year, with Stanford having a sharp 17.2 percent uptick in its own foreign population.

Currently, 3,751 foreign students are enrolled at Stanford, which is ranked No. 20 behind schools including Southern California (No. 1 with 7,115), Columbia (No. 2 with 5,937) and Harvard (No. 9 with 4,514).

The numbers come from “Open Doors,” a publication of the Institute of International Education and the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Officials believe the increase, which has brought foreign enrollment levels near their 2002 peak, is thanks to improvements in the visa application process and university recruitment efforts.