In the U.S., participating students watched their code at work over a direct transmission from the International Space Station, shown at the MIT campus.

MSN: High schoolers control satellites aboard space station

Dr. Faust, who will also visit South Korea, said China is the "largest supplier" of international students enrolled at the university's campus, in Cambridge, Mass.

WSJ: Harvard Expands Reach in Asia

Hult International Business School is also keeping job prospects in mind when considering international applicants, and has begun to discourage students from outside the European Union from enrolling at its London campus.

WSJ: For Hire: Foreign Business Students