Number of Indian students in US increases by 8 pc

The number of desis headed to American shores for educational purposes has seen a steep rise.

The number of Indian students going to the US for graduate-level studies has increased by eight per cent from 2010 to 2011, while those from China topped the list with a record rise of 23 per cent, according to a latest report.

The overall foreign graduate admissions rose by 11 percent from 2010 to 2011, the largest increase since 2006, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) said in its survey report on admission trends.

Last year the increase was just three per cent.

Among foreign countries, China topped the list with a record increase of 23 per cent, the report released yesterday said.

The growth was driven substantially by a 23 per cent increase in offers of admission to prospective students from China, the sixth year in a row of double-digit gains, said the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).

"Offers of admission to students from the Middle East and Turkey rose 16 per cent, the fourth consecutive year of significant growth. Students from India saw an eight per cent increase, the first gain since 2007, and offers of admission to prospective South Korean students remained flat after four consecutive years of declines," the report said.

"While the growth in admissions is driven in large part by increases from China, it also reflects a broader trend as evidenced by strong numbers from the Middle East and India and a stabilisation in the numbers from South Korea," said Debra W Stewart, CGS President.

This kind of strong growth in international student applications and admissions is "a real testament" to the quality of the US graduate institutions in an increasingly competitive marketplace, she said.

According to the report, the changes in offers of admission to prospective international students vary by field of study and institution type.

Admissions increased in all eight broad fields. The largest increases were seen in business (16 per cent) and physical and earth sciences (15 per cent) while social sciences and psychology saw the smallest increase at three per cent.

Offers of admission increased at nearly the same rate at both private, not-for-profit institutions (12 per cent) and public institutions (11 per cent), the report said.

Offers of admission by US graduate schools to prospective international students increased in all four major regions of the United States this year. The West saw the most growth (13 per cent), the South and Midwest both increased by 11 per cent and the Northeast grew by 10 per cent, it said.