Surging Indian Students in the US, Up 35%... "Quickly Filling the Gap Left by China"

Indian International Students in the US Increase by 35% in One Year
Approaching 'Largest' Chinese Student Numbers... "Influenced by Economic Growth, etc."

Amid the decline of Chinese international students in the United States due to US-China tensions and the impact of COVID-19, Indian international students are rapidly filling the gap. This is interpreted as an increase in Indians choosing to study in the US due to India's economic growth.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Institute of International Education (IIE), a US nonprofit organization, announced on the 13th (local time) through its annual report "Open Doors" for the 2022-2023 academic year that the total number of international students in the US reached 1,057,188, a 12% increase compared to the previous year. This figure is close to the level of the 2019-2020 academic year (1,075,000), just before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Washington Post (WP) reported, "There has never been such a large increase in total numbers within a single year since the late 1970s."

The number of international students in the US dropped to the 910,000 range in the 2020-2021 academic year immediately after COVID-19 but has since shown a gradual recovery. The number of newly enrolled international students in US schools this year is about 300,000, a 12% increase from the previous year.

The increase in international students in the US was led by Indian students. The number of Indian international students in the US for the 2022-2023 academic year was 268,923, a 35% increase compared to the previous year. Just one year ago, the number was less than 200,000, but it surged by nearly 70,000 within a year. According to the report, more than 60% of Indian international students are pursuing graduate education or higher.

The number of Indian international students studying in the US has approached that of Chinese international students. The number of Chinese international students in the US for the 2022-2023 academic year was counted at 289,526. Before COVID-19, in the 2019-2020 academic year, there were 372,532 Chinese international students in the US, but the number has decreased for three consecutive years, dropping by 22%. This is attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the deterioration of US-China relations.

Bloomberg News analyzed that this phenomenon is due to India's economic growth and the improvement of relations between the US and India.

With the World Bank (WB) forecasting India's GDP growth rate at 6.3% for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, it is seen that wealthy Indian families are increasingly sending their children to study in the US. Additionally, although there were visa issues during the Donald Trump administration, the Biden administration's improvement of US-India relations has resolved these issues, leading to an increase in international students.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.