A recent survey of international students has found that their cohort is still happy with their experience, despite the ever increasing value of the Australian dollar putting them under increased financial strain.

The 2012 International Student Survey, published by Australian Education International, found that 87 per cent of international students are ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their  experiences, up from 86 per cent in 2010.

More than 90 per cent of over 50,000 respondents indicated that personal safety was one of their main reasons for choosing to study in Australia. However, satisfaction with living costs has fallen 10 percentage points since 2010.

Tertiary Education Minister Craig Emerson said the improvements in satisfaction, despite increasing costs, demonstrated the high quality of Australian universities and training providers.

"International students are choosing Australia because of the reputation of our institutions and teachers," Dr Emerson said.

International education was worth around $16 billion to the Australian economy in 2011, making it Australia's fourth-largest export and largest services export.

The full report can be found here