Open Doors, supported by a grant from the Department of State's Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, provides a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities.

Every year, U.S. embassies, the Departments of State, Commerce, and Education, and U.S. colleges and universities use Open Doors data to inform policy decisions about educational exchanges, trade in educational services and study abroad activity.

To mark the start of International Education Week, the Institute of International Education will release Open Doors 2012 data on November 13, 2012. The report contains statistics and trends regarding international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2011/12 academic year and U.S. students who studied abroad for academic credit at their home institutions during the 2010/11 academic year, including summer 2011.