More than 2.5 lakh Indians studying in US: Report

Hyderabad: According to a report published by the US Department of Homeland security, there are over 251,290 Indians studying in the US, 1.68 per cent more than in 2017 when the number of Indian students was 247,133. The report compiled data on foreign students for 2017 and 2018.

Of the 251,290 students, 66.5 per cent are men and 33.5 per cent women. Meanwhile, the total number of foreign students studying in the US has come down by 26,120. Since many Indian students did not get their H1B visa even after their three-year OPT (Optional Practical Training), they have applied for a second Masters degree. This has resulted in an increase in the number of students with a student visa. Also, in the past three to four years, many Indian students are going to other countries like Australia, Canada, Britain, Germany, and Ireland.

Students from 232 nations are studying in the US. In 2017 there were 15,51,373 international students in the US but the number went down by 26,120 in 2018. While there was a 1.70 per cent decline in the number of foreign students, the decline in students from Asia itself was 1.90 per cent. However, there was an increase in the number of students from North America and Australia. California seems to be a favourite among international students as over 3,02,073 students, or 19.50 per cent, study there.

China tops the list with 478,732 Chinese students studying in the US, followed by India with 251,290 students. The number of Chinese students has decreased by 147 when compared to 2017. Meanwhile, there are over 88,867 South Korean students, 61,205 students from SaudiArabia, and 39,396 from Japan. The least number of female students are from Saudi Arabia, 24.60 per cent, followed by India.

Most number of students studying in the US are from the following countries.

China - 4,78,732.

India - 2,51,290

South Korea - 88,867

Said Arabia - 61,205

Japan - 39,396.