Even in the academic year 2005/2006, when there was a brief decline, India has been in the lead since 2001/2002, when the captured the top position from China, which once again was in second place for 2006/2007.
The total of Indian students coming to the US this year was up by 9.6 per cent from the previous year, when the number was 76,503, and India dominated with 14.4 per cent of the total of 582,984 international students enrolled in American colleges and universities in the US in 2006/2007, which also increased by 3 per cent over the previous academic year.
China, which retained its number two slot had 67,723 students coming to the US in 2006/2007, which was 8 per cent more than the previous year, while the other top positions went to Korea, 62,392, up 6 per cent, Japan, 35,282, down 9 per cent, Taiwan, 29,094, up 4 per cent, Canada, 28,280, up less than 1 per cent, Mexico, 13,826, down 1 per cent, Turkey, 11,506, down 1 per cent, Thailand, 8,886, up 1 per cent, Germany, 8,656, down 2 per cent, United Kingdom, 8,438, up 2 per cent, Saudi Arabia, 7,886, up 129 per cent, Nepal, 7,754, up 28 per cent, Hong Kong, 7,722, down 2 per cent, Indonesia, 7,338, down 3 per cent, Brazil, 7,126, up 2 per cent, Columbia, 6,750, down 1 per cent, France, 6,704, up 1 per cent, Kenya, 6,349, down 3 per cent, and Vietnam, 6.,036, up 31 per cent.
According to the report, the majority of India students were enrolled for study at the graduate level and the breakdown for the 2006/2007 academic year was, 15 per cent, undergraduate, 71.1 per cent, graduate, 12.8 per cent, other, and 1.2 per cent, optional practical training.
The academic year 2000/2001, marked a new surge in enrollments from India, with an increase of 30 per cent, followed by two more years of double digit growth -- 22 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.
In 1995/1996, the number of Indian students studying in the United States was 31,743 or 7 per cent of the total percentage of foreign students in the US; in 1996/1997, 30,641 or 6.7 per cent;1997/1998, 33,818 or 7 per cent; 1998/1999, 37,482 or 7.6 per cent; 1999/2000, 42,337 or 8.2 per cent ; 2000/2001, 54,664 or 9.9 per cent ; 2001/2002, 66,836 or 11.5 per cent ; 2002/2003, 74,603 or 12.7 per cent ; 2003/2004, 79,736 or 13.9 per cent; 2004/2005, 80,466 or 14. 2 per cent ; and 2005/2006, 76,503 or 13.5 per cent.
Among the leading fields of study for international students in the US, Business remained the leading field with 18 per cent of the total, the Open Doors report said, closely followed by engineering with 15 per cent.
It said that increases in international students enrollments had been reported in nearly every state in 2006/2007, with colleges and universities in California enrolling the largest number of foreign students with 77,987, up by 3.5 per cent, followed by New York with 65.884, up 2.5 per cent and Texas with 49,081, up 5 per cent.
An elated Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Karen Hughes, said, "The increase in enrollments we see in this year's Open Doors statistics reflects the dynamism, diversity and excellence of US higher education institutions in a competitive international environment, and demonstrates the commitment of the US government and US higher education leaders to welcoming international students."
Allan E Goodman, president and CEO of IIE, said, "Vigorous efforts at the national, state and campus levels have combined to produce this rebounding of international student enrolments."
But he said it was imperative that "given increased global competition for talent, as well as expanded higher education options in many of the leading sending countries, America needs to continue its proactive steps to insure that our academic doors remain wide open, and that students around the world understand that they will be warmly welcomed."
The Open Doors report said that international students were also a boon to the US economy, contributing approximately $14.5 billion through their expenditure on tuition and living expenses.
It said that according to the Department of Commerce, US higher education was the country's fifth largest service sector export, as these students bring money into the national economy and provide revenue to their host states for living expenses, including room and board, books and supplies, transportation, health insurance, support for accompanying family members, and other miscellaneous items.
But if India continued to be the leading country of origin of students coming to the US, Americans studying in India was a puny 2,115 in 2005/2006, even if it was up by 19.7 per cent from the 1,767 in 2004/2005 and did not figure even in the top 20.
The report said that the UK was once again the leading destination for study abroad by American students, with a total of 32,109, which was practically unchanged from the previous year's total.
Italy was the second most popular destination with 26,078 students, up by 5 per cent from last year, followed by Spain, 21,881, up by 5 per cent; France, 15,602, up 1.5 per cent; Austrailia, 10,980, up 1.5 per cent; Mexico, 10,022, up 8 per cent, China, 8,830, up 38 per cent, Germany, 6,858, up 5 per cent, Costa Rica , 5,518, up 13 per cent; Ireland, 5,499, up 8 per cent; Japan, 4,411, up 8 per cent; Greece, 3,227, up 32 per cent; Argentina, 2,865, up 42 per cent; Czech Republic, 2,846, up 14 per cent; Austria, 2,792, up 1 per cent; Chile, 2,578, up 8 per cent; New Zealand, 2,542, down 4 per cent; South Africa, 2,512, up 9 per cent; Brazil, 2,328, up 17 per cent, and Ecuador, 2,171, up 27 per cent.
Overall, study abroad by US students increased by 8.5 per cent to a total of 223,534 the report said, noting that these increased numbers reflect a growing recognition by students and educators that an international experience is importance to students' future careers.