Indian students in the USA
i) what they studied,
mainly at which universities
iii) the countries that they mainly came from,
iv) which subjects grew more popular.
The Times of India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Numbers, contribution to the US economy
2010-17
ii) The US universities preferred by international students;
iii) The fields of study preferred by international students;
iv) The contribution of China, India and other major source countries to US earnings from foreign students.
From November 14, 2017: The Times of India
See graphic,
i) The number of Indian students in the USA, 2010-17 and the annual growth rate;
ii) The US universities preferred by international students;
iii) The fields of study preferred by international students;
iv) The contribution of China, India and other major source countries to US earnings from foreign students.
2013-17
See graphic
2015: 133,000 students, 3.6 bn
Sources:
1. Oneindia, Oneindia | 16th Nov, 2015
2. The Times of India, November 17, 2015
133,000 Indian students contribute $3.6 bn to US economy
Washington, Nov 16: With a whopping 29.4 percent increase, a record high of 132,888 Indian students studying in the US in 2014/15 academic year contributed $3.6 billion to the US economy, according to a new report.
India was the second leading place of origin for students coming to the US, making up 13.6 percent of the total international students in the country, according to the 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released Monday.
The report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
While Open Doors does not compile region-wise data for their international students, Michael Evans, consular section chief, mentioned that Gujarat and Mah arashtra make up the biggest students' pool from the western region. “We have had the highest number of visa applications, including students' visas, from these two states in the western region,“ he said. The region also includes Chhattisgarh, Goa and MP.In the last one year, there has been a 56% rise in the students' visas issued in the country , when the western region saw a jump of 89%.
Science, technology , engineering, math (STEM) remained the most popular choice of study among Indian students. Of these, engineering was the top choice, with 37.5% students pursuing it, followed by mathcomputer with 31.4% students. International students' spending in all 50 states contributed more than $30 billion to the US economy in 2014 with students from India contributing $3.6 billion, the report said citing the US Department of Commerce.
China remains the top sending country, with almost twice the number of students in the US as India, but India's rate of growth and absolute increases outpaced China's 11 percent.
It was also the second year of rising numbers for India, following three years of declines.
India's 29.4 percent growth is the highest rate of growth for Indian students in the history of the Open Doors project, which spans back to 1954/55.
The last time India grew at a comparable rate (29.1) was in 2000/01 when the number of students from India exceeded 50,000 for the first time.
India, China and Brazil accounted for most of the growth in international students on US campuses as their numbers grew at the highest rate in 35 years, increasing by ten percent to a record high of 974,926 students in the 2014/15 academic year.
The number of Indian students in the US is more than double what it was 15 years ago in 1999/2000.
The majority of Indian students in the US study at the graduate level, according to the report. In 2014/15, their breakdown was: 12.4 percent undergraduate; 64 percent graduate students; 1.4 percent other; 22.1 percent OPT (Optional Practical Training).
In 2001/02, India became the top sender of students to the US and retained that position for eight years, through 2008/09.
In 2009/10, the rate of growth from India levelled off, and China overtook India as the top sender and retains that place for the sixth year in a row now, after eight years of double-digit increases.
In 2014/15, China and India together accounted for 67 percent of the increase in international students, and they now constitute nearly 45 percent of the total number of international students in US higher education.
Students from the top three countries of origin - China, India, and South Korea - now represent approximately 51 percent of the total enrolment of international students in the US, with the number from China and India increasing, and the numbers from South Korea declining by six percent.
In the 2013/14 academic year, 304,467 American students studied abroad for academic credit, an increase of five percent, the highest rate of growth since the 2007/08 academic year. India saw a five percent increase in students from the US.
-IANS
Source: www.oneindia.com
2015-16: India no.2 source, but highest growth (24.9%)
Despite the spectre of xenophobia, internatio nal students in the United States crossed the 1-million mark, an increase of 7% over the previous year. And one in six of them in Trumpland is an Indian.
The rate of growth of Indian students, at almost 25%, is the highest among the top 25 places of origin for scholars in America. In all, 1.7 lakh students from India are studying in the US, making up 16% of the total international students. A majority of them study at the graduate level. In 2015-16, the breakdown was: 11.6% undergraduate; 61.4% graduate; 1.5% other; 25.5% OPT (Optional Practical Training). Last year, these students contributed $5billion to the American economy .
In absolute numbers, China remains the largest sender of international students to the US with a 31.5% share.Students from the top three senders -China, India and Saudi Arabia -now represent around 53% of all international student enrolment. In all, 10,43,839 foreign candi dates, representing 5% of the US' total higher education student population, contribute nearly $36 billion to the US economy , says the department of commerce.
Open Doors 2016 reports that about 75% of all international students receive the majority of their funds from sources outside the US, including personal and family sources, as well as assistance from their home country governments or universities.
The number of Chinese students grew by 8.1% in 201516, but those from India rose 24.9% in 2015-16, following a 29.4% growth the year prior and a 6.1% growth rate the year before that. Saudi Arabia replaced South Korea as the third-largest place of origin, though the increase in Saudi students, at 2.2%, has slowed.
“The Open Doors report shows that international students value the quality , diversity and strong reputation of US institutions, and recognise that these institutions provide opportunities to them not only in their education, but also in their careers,“ said Institute of International Education president Allan Goodman.
Despite the rise in international students, Open Doors also shows that the gender gap among international students has widened slightly over the past two years.
2016-17/ percentage of increase 12.3% than 25% (2015-16)
Hemali Chhapia, November 14, 2017: The Times of India
From: Hemali Chhapia, November 14, 2017: The Times of India
Though the US is still a much-favoured destination for Indian students, the percentage of increase in fresh enrolments by Indians halved in 2016-2017 to 12.3% from almost 25% the previous year, according to the latest Open Doors survey conducted by the Institute of International Education. The year 2014-15 too had seen robust growth of 29.4%.
In global terms, the US saw a decline in fresh enrolments in 2017, with nearly 10,000 fewer candidates signing up; the new student count of about 2.9 lakh represents a 3% decrease from the previous year.
For the third year in a row, the largest growth came from India, primarily at the graduate level and in optional practical training (OPT), which is temporary employment linked to a student’s area of study (eligible students can receive up to 12 months of OPT before and/or after completing studies). The Indian student population in the US is now 1.86 lakh.
50% of foreign students in US are from India, China
About 22,000 Indian students in the US are undergraduate students
(13.9% increase over the previous year), 1.05 lakh graduate students (3% rise), 57,132 doing their OPT (35%) and 2,259 who have enrolled for non-degree courses (a fall of 7.3%).
China sends the most students to the US, followed by India. But India’s rate of growth has still outpaced China’s (which is at 6.8%). Students from these two countries now represent almost 50% of the total enrolment of international students in the US.
While overall fresh enrolment has fallen, the number of international students studying on American campuses has increased. For the second consecutive year, US colleges and universities hosted more than 1million international students, thereby reaching 1.08 million.
The factors driving the slowing of growth include a mix of global and local economic conditions, and in some cases, expanded higher education opportunities at home and declining populations, stated the press statement from the IIE on the survey. “Much of the increase reported for the past couple of years can be attributed to more students pursuing OPT related to their academic fields after their degree studies in the US.
These flattening trends have a nearly two-year history, as students reflected in the current Open Doors report were already on campus in September 2016 for the fall term, and most had applied in 2015 and made their decisions in spring 2016.
While this year’s Open Doors report shows strong growth in the number of international students studying in the US in the past decade, with an increase of 85% since 2006/07 the new findings signal that the increase is 3% compared to increases of 7% to 10% for the previous three years.
2016> 2017: Fewer Indians joined US engg colleges
From: Shilpa Phadnis, Number of Indians joining US engg colleges dips, February 26, 2018: The Times of India
The number of students from India enrolled in graduate level programmes in computer science and engineering in the US declined by 21% from 2016 to 2017, according to a study by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), based on data from the US Department of Homeland Security.
The NFAP said the number of international students enrolled in US universities declined by approximately 4% between 2016 and 2017, and more than half of this could be attributed to fewer individuals from India studying computer science and engineering at the graduate level in 2017. Indian graduate students completing degrees in science and engineering at US universities are a major source of talent for US firms.
The report of the NFAP, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy research organisation based in Virginia, indicated that the Donald Trump administration’s restrictive visa and work policies had affected the prospects of attracting and retaining bright foreign students making a significant contribution to the US economy.
The report said that the Narendra Modi government’s demonetisation move — which led to severe cash shortages — might have played a role in the sharp decline in Indian students. But it ruled this out as a major cause, considering that there was an increase (of about 740) in the number of Indian students going to the US for undergraduate programmes in computer science and engineering.
Students from India mostly go to the US for graduate programmes (which lead to a post-graduate degree) than for undergraduate programmes. The Ministry of External Affairs estimates that there were 206,708 Indian students studying in the US in 2017. “News reports and other information about the US limiting the ability of international students to gain employment after completing their studies could be discouraging enrolment,” the NFAP report said.
The report said: “The key to remember is that international students have more choices than ever before about where to study and US policies on immigration and international students have an impact on those choices. To the extent the US makes it more difficult to work after graduation or imposes other restrictive policies it is less likely that international students choose America as their destination,” it said.
The report said fewer international students coming to the US will have a serious impact on US students and US universities, as well as American companies.”
National Foundation for American Policy said the number of international students enrolled in US universities declined by approximately 4% between 2016 and 2017, and more than half of this could be attributed to fewer individuals from India studying computer science and engineering at the graduate level in 2017. Indian graduate students completing degrees in science and engineering at US universities are a major source of talent for US firms
2016> 2017: 27% decrease
US Student visas for Indians, 2016>17
From: Lubna Kably, Number of Indians granted US student visa dips by 27%, March 14, 2018: The Times of India
Desi Youths Heading To Canada, Oz As US Tightens Visa Regime
The results of a restrictive immigration policy are now clearly evident with the number of student visas issued by the Trump administration dropping, especially to those hailing from India and China.
Statistics for the year ending September 30, 2017, show an aggregate decline of 16% compared to the previous year, with 4.21 lakh student visas handed out against 5.02 lakh in a year ago, according to statistics released by the US department of state.
For Indian students, the drop is a sharper 27% with 47,302 visas being allotted in the same period as against 65,257 visas issued in the fiscal ended September 30, 2016, under the Obama presidency.
The data underscores the fact that Canada and Australia are emerging as alternative destinations. Tightening of H1-B visa policies (H1-B is a popular work visa for Indians) and also uncertainties relating to optional practical training programs (OPTs), which enable international students to work in the US for a short period, are attributed to this declining interest for higher education in the US.
In all, 3.93 lakh visas (F1 category) were granted to international students and 27,435 visas (F2 category) were granted to their spouses and children during the year ending September 30, 2017.
A nationality-wise breakup of each sub-segment is not available, with the department of state clubbing visas allotted to various nationalities under a single ‘F’ category. However, Asian students constituted the bulk and collectively, Indians and Chinese comprised 40% of the total.
During fiscal 2017, 2.86 lakh ‘F’ category of visas were issued to Asians (nearly 68% of total), which was a decline of nearly 20% over the previous year. For Indian students, it was a steep fall with numbers down by 27% – only 47,302 visas were issued to them in this period.
Student visa approvals had steadily increased over several years in the recent past, and it peaked to more than 6.5 lakh in 2015 before it began to dip. The year-onyear decline for 2016 as compared to 2015 was nearly 26%.
During the application season for work visas last year, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services carried out ‘extreme vetting’ of H1-B applications, especially where the wages were at entry level. As reported by TOI earlier, the question asked was whether the application was for a job that required specialisation (which is a requirement for the H1-B visa) and if so, why were the wages at entry level. Thus, it was challenging for companies to hire freshers through the H1-B route.
Further, a case is pending in US courts regarding the OPT program that enables international students to work in the US after their studies for a certain period. Towards the end of February, a US circuit court (which is a higher court) heard the appeal of the petition against OPT.
Pew Research Center, a US headquartered think tank, has come down heavily on the OPT mechanism. In a report, it points out that: “Although nominally OPT jobs are temporary, they can last up to 29 months. Further many of those working in the US under the OPT program go on to apply for H1-B visas to stay longer in the US.”
“Various challenges relating to work visas and a probable change in the OPT mechanism, sometime in the future, are factors which are prompting Indian students to explore universities in Canada and even Australia, says an immigration consultant.
PhDs
2005-15
See graphic, 'The number of Indians (and other nationals) who received science & engineering, and other, PhDs in the USA.'
_who_received_science_%26_engineering,_and_other,_PhDs_in_the_USA.jpg)
