Number of Nepali students in U.S. rises by 18.4 per cent

There has been an 18.4 percent rise last year in the number of Nepali students in United States colleges and universities, according to a U.S. government report.

The 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released today reports that this rise comes following six years of decline in the number of students going to the US for higher education which is almost 30 per cent decrease since 2009, reports the Himalayan Times.

A statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu read, "With 9,662 students enrolled for the academic year, Nepalis are one of the fastest growing student communities in the United States. US universities and colleges hosted a new high of nearly 1.044 million international students enrolled in the past year, representing five per cent of the total student population."

During the 2015-16 academic year for the first time, the total number of international students at US colleges and universities surpassed one million which is an increase of seven per cent from the previous year, the statement added.

Meanwhile, an Education Fair was hosted by the US Embassy as part of the International Education Week on Monday at the Yak and Yeti Hotel in which students met the representatives from 20 US Higher Education Institutions.