133,000 Indian students contribute $3.6 billion to US economy: Report

A record high of 132,888 Indian students are studying in the US in 2014/15 academic year contributed $3.6 billion to the US economy, according to a new report. This also means that there has been a whopping 29.4% increase

India was the second leading place of origin for students coming to the US, making up 13.6 per cent of the total international students in the country, according to the 2015 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released Monday.


The report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

International students' spending in all 50 states contributed more than $30 billion to the US economy in 2014 with students from India contributing $3.6 billion, the report said citing the US Department of Commerce.

China remains the top sending country, with almost twice the number of students in the US as India, but India's rate of growth and absolute increases outpaced China's 11 per cent.

It was also the second year of rising numbers for India, following three years of declines.

India's 29.4 per cent growth is the highest rate of growth for Indian students in the history of the Open Doors project, which spans back to 1954/55.

The last time India grew at a comparable rate (29.1) was in 2000/01 when the number of students from India exceeded 50,000 for the first time.

India, China and Brazil accounted for most of the growth in international students on US campuses as their numbers grew at the highest rate in 35 years, increasing by ten per cent to a record high of 974,926 students in the 2014/15 academic year.

"We are excited to see that record numbers of students are taking advantage of international education opportunities," Evan Ryan, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs told IANS.

The number of Indian students in US is more than double what it was 15 years ago in 1999/2000.

The majority of Indian students in the US study at the graduate level, according to the report. In 2014/15, their breakdown was: 12.4 per cent undergraduate; 64 per cent graduate students; 1.4 per cent other; 22.1 per cent OPT (Optional Practical Training).

Image credit: Indiatimes