The United States continues to be a top destination for Indian students to pursue higher education abroad, the US Embassy said in a release citing the Open Doors Report. According to the Open Doors Report (ODR), the number of foreign students from India in the United States increased by 35 per cent, reaching an all-time high of 268,923 students in the 2022-23 academic year, it added. The US Department of State funds the Open Doors report, which is an authoritative annual survey of foreign students and scholars in the United States and US students studying abroad in credit-bearing courses, produced by the Institute of International Education (IIE).
In addition to highlighting the growth rate of the international student population in the United States, the report also provides data on countries of origin, sources of financial support, fields of study, host institutions, and academic levels. According to the Open Doors Report, India has overtaken China to become the largest source of international graduate students in the United States for the first time since 2009-10. In addition, the number of Indian students pursuing higher education in the US jumped by 63 per cent to 165,936 students, an increase of nearly 64,000 students from the previous year.
The number of Indian undergraduate students also increased by 16 per cent, according to the report. Indian students make up more than a quarter of the more than one million international students studying in the United States.
The release of the Open Doors Report marks the beginning of International Education Week (IEW), which promotes the global benefits of international education and exchange.
According to ODR statistics, India also has the highest number of people (69,062) pursuing Optional Practical Training (OPT), a type of temporary work permit that allows qualified students to gain real-world experience in their field of study, said the US Embassy press release quoting the ODR report. During the peak student visa season from June to August 2023, the US Embassy and consulates in India issued a record number of student visas. In India, consular officers issued 95,269 F, M and J category visas. This represents an 18 percent increase over the same period.
The US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, had said that Indian students studying in the US and their families deserved recognition for their achievements and success. “You did it, India! Each and every Indian student in the United States and the families who support their success deserve recognition for this achievement. The decision to study abroad, and your choice of the United States, represents a valuable investment by you and your families. You are bringing our countries closer together and leading us into a bright future. We celebrate the strength of India’s education system in preparing students to compete globally, and we look forward to seeing India continue to lead. We also look forward to balancing these record numbers. We want to see equal numbers of women studying in the United States and more U.S. students coming to experience all that India has to offer,” Garcetti said, according to the U.S. Embassy release.
To help Indian students choose the ideal study opportunity, the US Department of State is offering free digital and in-person advising services to prospective students at six EducationUSA Advising Centres in India: New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, and two in Hyderabad. The Institute of International Education (IIE) publishes the Open Doors report. The IIE has conducted an annual statistical survey of international students in the United States since its founding in 1919, and in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since 1972. Open Doors also reports on the number of international scholars at U.S. universities and the number of international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) builds relationships between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, athletic, professional, and private sector exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programmes. Approximately 50,000 people participate in these exchange programmes each year, including the flagship Fulbright Programme and the International Visitor Leadership Programme.
