The number of Indian students going to the US to pursue higher education went up by 35 per cent in the academic year 2022-23 compared to the previous year, the US Consulate in Calcutta said on Sunday.
The total number of students who went to the US in the academic year 2022-23 reached an “all-time high” figure of 2,68, 923, according to a report published by a global organisation. The report is annually published at this time of the year.
“For the third year in a row, a record number of Indian students travelled to the United States to pursue higher education. According to the Open Doors Report (published by a global non-profit organization, the Institute of International Education)...
the number of international students from India to the United States increased by
35 per cent and resulted in an all-time high of 268923 students in the academic year 2022-23,” stated a press release issued by the US Consulate in Calcutta.
“Indian students constitute more than 25 per cent of the over one million foreign students studying in the United States,” it said.
The release of the Open Doors Report on Sunday marked the beginning of international education week, which celebrates the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.
The Institute of International Education (IIE) publishes the Open Doors Report.
The IIE conducts an annual statistical survey of international students in the US since its founding in 1919, and in partnership with the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since 1972.
The total number of students going abroad consists of undergraduate, graduate and those who pursue optional practical training (OPT) — a type of temporary work permission that allows eligible students to get “real-world experience” related to their field of study.
“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 towards a bright future,” said the US ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti.
“We celebrate the strength of the Indian educational system that prepares students to compete globally and look forward to seeing India continue to lead,” he said.
“We also look forward to balancing these record numbers. We want to see equal numbers of women pursuing studies in the United States and see more US students coming to experience all that India has to offer,” said Garcetti.
According to the press release, the US Embassy and the Consulates in India issued “record high numbers of student visas during the main student visa season of June-August 2023”.
According to the Open Doors Report, India surpassed China to become the largest source of international
graduate students in the United States for the first time since 2009-10, the press release said.
