India sends highest number of students to US: Report

India remains the leading place of origin of international students in the United States for the eighth year in a row, a report said on Monday.

According to the Open Doors report released on Monday, Indian students' number in 2008-09 increased by one per cent, to reach 103,260. Students from China, once again the second leading sender, increased by 21 per cent to a total of 98,510.

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 8 percent to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008-09 academic year, according to the Open Doors report, which is published annually by the Institute of International Education with support from the US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

This is the largest percentage increase in international student enrollments since 1980/81, and marks the third consecutive year of significant growth. The total international student count exceeds by 14.5 per cent the prior peak enrollment year in 2002/03.

According to Open Doors 2009, universities in California hosted the largest number of foreign students with 93,124 students, up 10 percent, followed by New York with 74,934, up 7 percent and Texas with 58,188, up 12 percent.

The New York City metropolitan area continues to be the leading city for international students, with 59,322 students enrolled in area schools, up 8 per cent.

Open Doors 2009 data also show the number of new international students -- those  enrolled for the first time at a US college or university in fall 2008 -- increasing by 16 percent.

The largest growth was seen in undergraduate enrollments, which increased by 11 per cent, compared to a 2 per cent increase in graduate enrollments. This growth was driven largely by increases in undergraduate students from China.

However, a new report by the Council of Graduate Schools, based on a countrywide survey, said that the enrollment of first-time graduate students from India registered a 16-per cent decline in 2008-09 while China registered a 16 per cent growth.

"I am delighted to see the large increase in the number of international students who are choosing to study in the United States," said Judith A McHale, Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

"The all-time high number of international students who studied here in the 2008-09 academic year testifies to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world," she said.

According to Allan E. Goodman, President and CEO of the Institute of International Education, "American higher education continues to be highly valued throughout the world. US campuses offer unparalleled opportunities for creativity, flexibility, and cultural exchange.

"Students from all over the world contribute substantially to their host campuses and to the US economy. Their active engagement in our classrooms provides US students with valuable skills that will enable them to collaborate across political and cultural borders to address shared global challenges in the years ahead," he said.