Indians form second largest international student group in US

In the 2016-17 academic year, 186,267 students from India were studying in the United States, while 165,918 students had enrolled in 2015-16. The report also stated that Indian students are the second largest, comprising 17.3 per cent of the total international students in the US. Graduate students account for 56.3 per cent, while Optional Practical Training (OPT) candidates account for 30.7 per cent.

Last year, Indian students in US higher educational institutions contributed $6.54 billion to the US economy. “There has been an increase of around 20,000 Indian students pursuing higher education in the US this year,” said US Consul General Robert Burgess, on Monday.

“There is a staying interest among Indian students for top quality education in the US. Around 17 per cent of all foreign students in US are from India,” added Burgess.

Maya Sundararajan, Regional Officer, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF), said that the number of undergraduate Indian students (11.8 per cent) is growing rapidly. Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) is the top choice for Indian students, accounting for 72 per cent. “However, on ground, we are seeing an increasing interest in niche areas such as animation and writing,” added Maya. India was the leading place of origin for international students in the US for eight years – from 2001-02 till 2008-09.