MORE than 3.3 lakh Indians are studyingin theUS,makingIndia the “top sender” of internationalstudents toAmerica for the first timein 15years, according to the OpenDoorsReport2024released on Monday. In the academic year 2022-23, the leading source country for international students in the US was China followed by India. According to the latest Open Doors Report, the number of Indian students studying in the US in the academic year 2023- 24 is at an “all-time high” at 3,31,602, a rise of 23 per cent from 2022-23 when the number stood at 2,68,923.

 

“Indiaisnow the leading country of origin for international students in the United States, accounting for 29 per cent of the total international student population,” according to a note sharedbytheUSEmbassyon the Open Doors Report 2024. According to official data associatedwith thelatestreport, the top five source countries for international students in the US for 2023-24 are -- India, China (2,77,398),SouthKorea (43,149), Canada (28,998) and Taiwan (23,157). “Indiais the topsenderofinternational students (for the first time since 2008/2009) with over 3,31,602studentsstudyingin the United States. The number of Indian students is at an all-time high,” the US Embassy’s note read. Normally, the academic year in the US begins in September and runs through May. India also “remained thelargest sender” of international graduate (masters and PhD level) students in the US for thesecondyear.

 

The number of Indian graduate students increasedby19 per cent to reach 1,96,567, it said. Thenumberofundergraduate students from India also increasedby13percent to36,053 while the number ofnon-degree students experienced a 28 per cent decline to 1,426 students, according to the report. The release of theOpen Doors Report marked the beginning of International Education Week (IEW),whichcelebrates thebenefits of international education and exchange worldwide.