Over 200,000 students went to US for higher studies in 2021-22: Report

"Congratulations to India on leading the globe in the number of students choosing the United States," Gloria Berbena, minister counselor for public diplomacy at the US embassy, said

More than 200,000 Indian students chose the United States as their higher education destination in the 2021-22 academic year, a 19 per cent increase over the previous year, according to a report released on Monday.

Nearly 21 per cent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States are Indian, according to the Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

For the second consecutive year, a record number of Indian students went to the United States to pursue higher education, it said.

"Congratulations to India on leading the globe in the number of students choosing the United States," Gloria Berbena, minister counselor for public diplomacy at the US embassy here, said.

"It's clear Indian students and their parents recognise the value of a US education, one that prepares them to leverage their newly gained know-how to tackle the world's challenges and readies them for future opportunities, whether that's in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, or entrepreneurship and innovation," Berbena said.

According to a statement by the embassy, the US Department of State offers free advising services to prospective Indian students both virtually and in-person at eight 'EducationUSA' advising centres in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and two in Hyderabad.

All the centres are staffed by EducationUSA advisors who offer accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about opportunities to study in the United States, helping Indian students find the best programme and fit from among 4,000 accredited US higher education institutions, the statement said.

IIE conducts an annual statistical survey on international students in the US since its founding in 1919 and in partnership with the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since 1972.

Open Doors also reports on the number of international scholars at US universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic intensive english programmes.