US continues to be top destination for India to pursue higher education: Report

New Delhi: Indian students continued to prefer the United States of America as their top destination to pursue higher education, with a record number of almost two lakh students enrolling in American institutions in the 2021-22 academic year, according to a report.

This was a 19 per cent increase from the previous year — which was also a record — with nearly 21 per cent of the million-odd foreign students in the US being Indians, according to the Open Doors Report released on Monday. The report is published by the Institute of International Education through a statistical survey, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Minister Counsellor for public diplomacy Gloria Berbena said, “Congratulations to India on leading the globe in the number of students choosing the United States. It’s clear Indian students and their parents recognise the value of a U.S. education, one that prepares them to leverage their newly gained know-how to tackle the world’s challenges and readies them for future opportunities, whether that’s in artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, or entrepreneurship and innovation.”

To assist Indian students, the US Department of State offers free advising services to prospective students both virtually, and in-person at centres in New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and two centres in Hyderabad. They help Indian students find the best programme and fit from among 4,000 accredited U.S. higher education institutions.

Students and families seeking additional facts about studying in the U.S. can download the EducationUSA India app, available for iOS and Android devices.