Indians studying in US increase by nearly 3% in 2018-19: Report

The number of Indian students studying in the United States increased by nearly three per cent in 2018-19 over the last year to 202,014, as per the 2019 Open Doors Report released on Monday.

This marks the sixth consecutive year that the total number of Indians pursuing their higher education in the US has grown, the US embassy in New Delhi said in a release.

The report, which provides an annual statistical survey on international students in the US, shows that Indians make up over 18 percent of all international students in the US, and provides the second-highest number of graduate students and third-highest undergraduate students.

Speaking on the occasion of the release of the report at the United States India Educational Foundation (USIEF), the US Embassy's Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs, Charisse Phillips, said, "Student exchanges between our two countries (India and the US) help strengthen the foundation upon which our strategic partnership is built. Indian students are looking for a great education and the United States offers the best return on this investment."

In 2018-19, US colleges and universities hosted more than one million international students for the fourth consecutive year, while the total number of international students expanded for the thirteenth consecutive year.

The top places of origin for international students studying in the US were China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Brazil and Mexico, while the top host states were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.