Indian students contributed $ 7.6 billion to the US economy in the 2019-20 academic year, despite a 4.4 percent drop in the total number of Indian students, according to a report. .
China remained the largest source of international students in the US, and the number of Chinese students in the country increased for the 16th year in a row. There were more than 372,000 Chinese students in the US During the 2019-20 year, the report “Open Doors 2020” said. India remained the second-largest source of international students, despite a 4.4 percent decline to 193,124 students, it said.
According to the report, published by the Office of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State and the Institute of International Education (IIE), for the fifth consecutive year, the United States received more than 1 million international students (1,075 .496) in an academic year. .
Despite a slight decrease (1.8 percent) in the number of international students in the United States during the 2019-20 academic year, this group still represents 5.5 percent of all students in the United States higher education system. United.
According to the US Department of Commerce, international students contributed $ 44 billion to the US economy in 2019, including $ 7.69 billion from Indian students.
“We are encouraged to see a fifth year of more than 1 million international students in the United States before the pandemic,” said Marie Royce, Under Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs.
“International student mobility is as important today as ever, and we believe that the United States is the best destination for students to study and earn their degrees. Education is a path to a greater future and international educational exchange has the power to transform the trajectories of students, ”said Royce.
Among the top 20 places of origin, the largest percentage increases were students from Bangladesh (+ 7%), Brazil (+ 4%) and Nigeria (+ 3%).
Saudi Arabia experienced the largest percentage decline (-17 percent) primarily due to changes to its government’s scholarship program.
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