Indians studying in the US rose by 29.4% this year.
By Sreejith Vallikunnu
Indian students studying in the US contribute $3.6 billion to the American economy, according to Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange released on Monday.
The report also reveals that the number of Indians studying in the US rose by 29.4% this year, which is the highest rate of growth in the history.
From 102,673 students enrolled in US institutions in 2013-14, the number rose to 132,888 in 2014-15, the data showed.
“Last year, Indian students in US colleges and universities contributed USD 3.6 billion to the US economy,” the report said, citing figures from the US Department of Commerce. International students’ spending in all 50 states contributed more than $30 billion to the US.
India, China and Brazil account for most of the growth in international students on US campuses. While China remains the top country of origin of international students in the US, increasing by 11 percent to 304,040, India’s growth outpaced China’s this year with students from India increasing by 29.4 percent to a record high of 132,888.
“The last time India grew at a comparable rate (29.1) was in 2000-01 when the number of students from India exceeded 50,000 for the first time,” the report said.
In 2014-15, China and India together accounted for 67 % of the increase in international students, and they now constitute nearly 45 percent of the total number of international students in US higher education, it added.
According to the report, students from the top three countries of origin – China, India and South Korea – now represent approximately 51 percent of the total enrolment of international students in the US, with the number from China and India increasing, and the numbers from South Korea declining by six percent.
“This year, South Korean and Saudi students each represent seven percent and six percent of the total, respectively. After these top four countries, no country represents more than three percent of the total international students in the United States. Despite a four percent decline, Canada remains the fifth leading place of origin,” the report added.
“We are excited to see that record numbers of students are taking advantage of international education opportunities, and we applaud the efforts of U.S. higher education as we work together to increase the number of American students who study abroad,” said Evan Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State.
Forty-four states plus the District of Columbia hosted more international students compared to the previous year. Among the top 10 host states, five had double-digit growth rates – Texas increased by 18 percent, California by 11 percent, and Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Ohio by 10 percent each.
New York University was the leading host university for international students for the second year in a row. Eight institutions hosted more than 10,000 international students: New York University, University of Southern California, Columbia University, Arizona State University, University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign, Northeastern University, Purdue University – West Lafayette and the University of California – Los Angeles, the report revealed.