India and China were among the top countries that sent the highest number of students to American institutions last year even as the number of new international students enrolling at US colleges and universities declined.
According to the ‘2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange’, it is the first time that the number of students has declined in the twelve years.
The report, released by Institute of International Education (IIE) and the US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs said, “While the overall number of international students studying in the US has increased, the number of new international students those enrolled at a US institution for the first time in fall 2016 – declined by nearly 10,000 students to about 291,000, a three percent decrease from the previous year.”
The report further said, “The scaling back of large Saudi and Brazil government scholarship programmes were a significant factor, as the number of students from those two countries showed the biggest decreases, particularly in non-degree study.”
“The factors driving the slowing of growth include a mix of global and local economic conditions, and in some cases expanded higher education opportunities at home and declining populations,” the report added. “However, notwithstanding the decline, India and China were among the top places of origin for international students in the US,” the report marked.
The report also noted, “The top places of origin for international students studying in the United States were China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil.” The top host states were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Each of these states saw increases in international students in 2016-17,” it added.
The report also revealed that the number of international students in the United States increased by three percent over the previous year while the number of American students studying abroad increased by four percent from the prior year.
In 2016/17, for the second consecutive year the US colleges and universities hosted more than one million international students, reaching a record high of 1.08 million.
According to the report, 45 percent of the campuses reported declines in new enrolments for fall 2017, while 31 percent reported increases in new enrolments and 24 percent reported no change from last year.
It is to be noted that today every Indian dream of studying and working abroad mainly in the United States of America to get a bigger opportunity and earn a high income. Therefore, Indian NRIs and students have also comprehensively contributed to the economy of US.
Also Read: Nearly 2,400 Indians lodged in US prison for illegally crossing border: Report