By Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The number of Indians studying in the United States increased by 5.4 percent over the last year to 196,271, and they make up nearly 18 per cent of all international students in US while China topped the list with one-third of the total international students.
This was revealed in the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released here on Tuesday. It also revealed that for the fifth consecutive year, the total number of Indians pursuing their higher education in the United States has grown.
Speaking at the launch of the report at the U.S.-Indian Educational Foundation (USIEF), Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs Joseph Pomper said, “Looking at the past 10 years of data, the number of Indians going to the United States has doubled. The reasons are clear: Indian students are looking for a great education and the United States continues to offer this.”
He also stated that the Embassy continues to see well qualified Indians applying to study in the United States as well as record attendance at U.S. university fairs held across the country.
According to the report, Indian students make up nearly 18 percent of all international students in the United States, surpassed only by China. India provided the second highest amount of graduate students and fourth-most undergraduates.
However, the growth declined from last year’s 12 per cent, indicating, to an extent, the cost-sensitivity of Indian students in choosing the US as their higher education destination, with a weak rupee causing a steep rise in the cost of living there.
The report also underscored that the number of American students studying in India increased to 4,704 – 12.5 percent more than the year before.
Commenting on this, Adam Grotsky, Director of USIEF, said he was thrilled to see a significant increase in the number of American university students choosing India as a study abroad destination.
“At USIEF, we believe that student exchange programs are one of the best ways to foster meaningful relationships and promote mutual understanding between American and Indian citizens,” he added.
Approximately 50,000 participants annually embark on these exchange programs, including the flagship Fulbright Program and the International Visitor Leadership Program.
In 2017-18, U.S. colleges and universities hosted more than one million international students for the third consecutive year. This marks the twelfth consecutive year of continued expansion.
Besides India, the top places of origin for international students studying in the US were China, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil.
However during the same period, certain countries like Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Canada and Mexico registered a negative growth.
There was a drop of 15 per cent in the number of students from Saudi Arabia, 8 per cent from Mexico, and 7 and 4 per cent from South Korea and Canada, respectively.
While the top host states in the US were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.
The report Open Doors is published by the Institute of International Education (IIE), which has conducted an annual statistical survey on international students in the United States since its founding in 1919 and in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since 1972. Open Doors also reports on the number of international scholars at U.S. universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs.