A record number of Indian students chose the United States to pursue higher education for the straight second year, according to the Open Doors Report released on Monday.
The Open Doors Report shows that almost 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. Nearly 21 per cent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States are Indian students.
Minister Counselor for Public Diplomacy, Gloria Berbena, congratulated India on leading the globe in the number of students choosing the United States.
“It’s clear Indian students and their parents recognize the value of a US education, one that prepares them to leverage their newly gained knowhow 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.
To assist Indian students, the US Department of State offers free advising services to prospective students both virtually, and in-person at eight EducationUSA advising centers throughout India -in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and two in Hyderabad, a release stated.
It stated that all eight centers 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.
Students and families seeking additional facts about studying in the United States can download the EducationUSA India app, available for free on iOS and Android devices.
The app provides the latest information about the college application process and is a quick and easy first step to planning higher education in the United States, or visit https://educationusa.state.gov/country/in
It may be noted that the Institute of International Education (IIE) publishes the Open Doors report. IIE conducts an annual statistical survey on international students in the United States 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.
Open Doors 2022 report includes international students enrolled at US higher education institutions in the United States and online from abroad, and those on Optional Practical Training (OPT) from Fall 2021 to Spring 2022.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the US Department of State builds relations between the people of the United States and the people of other countries through academic, cultural, sports, professional and private sector exchanges, as well as public-private partnerships and mentoring programmes.
According to ECA, approximately 50,000 participants annually embark on these exchange programmes, including the flagship Fulbright Programme and the International Visitor Leadership Programme.
ECA also sponsors the Benjamin A Gilman Scholarships for US undergraduates with financial need, the Critical Language Scholarship Program in support of US foreign language study abroad, and the EducationUSA network of over 400 advising centers worldwide, which provides information to students around the globe who wish to study in the United States.
