Latest news with #OpenDoors2024ReportonInternationalEducationalExchange
News18
18 hours ago
- Science
- News18
Inside the US Dream: What Indian Students Are Studying And What Attracts Them
According to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange, the number of international students at US colleges and universities hit a record high of over 1.1 million (1,126,690) in the 2023–2024 academic year — marking a 7% increase from the previous year. Leading the charge was India, sending 331,602 students, a 23% rise over the previous year's total. Indian students are particularly drawn to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Nearly 43% are enrolled in Mathematics and Computer Science, followed by 24.5% in Engineering, and 11.2% in Business and Management. These choices reflect not just global job market trends, but also the reputation of US institutions for cutting-edge research, technological advancement, and real-world impact.
News18
18 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
Inside The US Dream: What Indian Students Are Studying And Why It Appeals
India sent over 331,000 students to the US in 2023–24, but recent visa policy changes under Trump have sparked uncertainty about their academic futures. In the 2023–2024 academic year, India sent more than 331,000 students to study in the US. However, US President Donald Trump's recent decision to suspend visa interviews for foreign nationals has created widespread uncertainty, leaving many Indian students in limbo about the future of their academic pursuits. Recently, US President Donald Trump defended his decision to limit foreign student admissions, even criticising Harvard University for what he called 'troubling behaviour" and its large amount of federal funding. Donald Trump said his administration still welcomes international students- but not those 'causing trouble." He said, 'We want to have great students here. We just don't want students who are causing trouble. I want foreign students here." advetisement Advertisement According to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange, the number of international students at US colleges and universities hit a record high of over 1.1 million (1,126,690) in the 2023–2024 academic year — marking a 7% increase from the previous year. Leading the charge was India, sending 331,602 students, a 23% rise over the previous year's total. Indian students are particularly drawn to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) disciplines. Nearly 43% are enrolled in Mathematics and Computer Science, followed by 24.5% in Engineering, and 11.2% in Business and Management. These choices reflect not just global job market trends, but also the reputation of US institutions for cutting-edge research, technological advancement, and real-world impact. Field of Study Percentage of Indian Students Business / Management 11.2% Education 0.2% Engineering 24.5% Fine / Applied Arts 1.3% Health Professions 2.7% Humanities 0.4% Intensive English 0.3% Math / Computer Science 42.9% Physical / Life Sciences 5.4% Social Sciences 2.2% Other Fields of Study 8.3% Undeclared 0.5% Total Students 331,602 But what drives Indian students to choose STEM courses and study abroad? And why is the US their top destination? Speaking to Sachin Jain, Country Manager at ETS India & South Asia, explained, 'The United States remains one of the top destinations for Indian students, especially in future-forward fields such as Computer Science, Engineering, AI, Data Science, and Management." He added, 'Nearly 70% of Indian students in the US are pursuing STEM degrees. This preference is driven by global demand for tech and innovation-led skills, world-class research infrastructure, and structured post-study work opportunities of up to three years. US universities are no longer just degree providers — they are launchpads for global careers." ALSO READ: Study Abroad Shift: 25% Indians May Avoid US, Experts Say Ireland, Germany & Japan Seeing Surge For students like Rishabh (name changed on request), currently studying at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the decision to move was driven by more than just university rankings. 'I chose the US because of its cutting-edge research, global faculty, and strong industry linkages. It's not just about textbooks — I work on real-world projects and have access to labs that address some of the world's most pressing challenges. The culture here encourages innovation and critical thinking. It's truly shaping me into a global problem-solver," he said. Mechmi Gurung, a student in Yale University's Master of Advanced Management programme, shared a similar sentiment. 'Studying in the US was a dream that turned into a plan. The academic flexibility, exposure to diverse cultures, and access to the tech ecosystem make it the best place to grow. I wanted more than just a degree — I wanted experience, innovation, and a global mindset. Being the best version of yourself is what US education pushes you toward," she said. ALSO READ: Study Abroad Shift: 25% Indians May Avoid US, Experts Say Ireland, Germany & Japan Seeing Surge Despite Policy Shifts, Experts Remain Optimistic top videos View All According to the Open Doors Student Mobility Facts and Figures 2024, the majority of Indian students (64.5%) were enrolled in public institutions in 2023, while 35.5% attended private universities. Indian students' contribution to the US economy in 2023 was significant, generating $11.8 billion, as per the International Student Economic Impact 2023. Although recent US policy changes may cause short-term uncertainty, education experts remain optimistic about the long-term outlook for international study. They advise students to stay informed, think globally, and choose academic paths that align with their career ambitions and financial plans. About the Author Archit Gupta Watch CNN-News18 here. Stay updated with the latest education! Get real-time updates on board exam results 2025, entrance exams such as JEE Mains, Advanced, NEET, and more. Find out top schools, colleges, courses and more. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : America donald trump Indian students Study abroad us Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 02, 2025, 13:05 IST News education-career Inside The US Dream: What Indian Students Are Studying And Why It Appeals
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump wants to police the speech of international students
It's hard to feel much sympathy for Harvard University. It has historically absorbed billions of dollars in federal subsidies and research grants, while discriminating against some applicants based on their race prior to the 2022 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. But now, President Donald Trump is ending all remaining federal grants to Harvard. And beyond cutting off federal money, the administration has gone further by threatening to block Harvard's access to all foreign students in 30 days. Worse, it is pausing all interviews for new foreign students, as well as the so-called exchange visas, while the administration considers whether and how to vet applicants' social media accounts. This goes way too far. There's not a single terrorist attack in the last 50 years that would have been prevented by such a thorough and subjective search, but the administration would likely use it to exclude students with unpopular opinions. (On Thursday, a federal judge extended a temporary order blocking the administration's attempt to bar Harvard from enrolling international students.) Moreover, the administration is completely off-base in its attacks on universities and international students. There are more than 1.1 million foreign students enrolled in American colleges and universities, amounting to just under 6% of the 19.1 million students enrolled in higher education. According to the Open Doors 2024 Report on International Educational Exchange, 56% of foreign students studied STEM, about 25% studied math and computer science, and nearly one-fifth studied engineering. Skilled immigrants often start as foreign students and end up staying. Elon Musk started as a student at the University of Pennsylvania before getting an H-1B visa. Usually, after the H-1B (or another temporary visa called OPT), the migrants are sponsored for a green card, and then they can eventually become American citizens, just as Musk did. Another South African immigrant, Patrick Soon-Shiong, completed his surgical training at UCLA before inventing the drug Abraxane for lung, breast and pancreatic cancer. 'The innovation this country spawns is the only way I think that America continues to be the leader of the world,' Soon-Shiong, now a billionaire and the owner of the Los Angeles Times, said in 2017. 'We still have the best universities, and I think it's crazy that (foreigners) come here and we train them as masters and PhDs and then we kick them out. That's ridiculous.' The data bears out Soon-Shiong's observations in innovation and entrepreneurship. From 1950-2000, a 1 percentage point increase in immigrants results in 15% more patents on a per capita basis. But entrepreneurship is even more important for innovation, and that's where immigrants really shine. According to research by economist Pierre Azoulay and his co-authors, immigrants are 80% more likely to start a business, their businesses created about 50% more jobs, they start more businesses at every size, and they pay about 1% higher wages than firms started by native-born Americans. Abandoning student visas doesn't mean kicking high-skilled immigrants out today, but it does mean that many fewer will be here in the future because they're kicked off the bottom rung of the ladder. Canceling student visas will actually counteract the intent of the administration's trade war. The administration started its trade war on the false notion that countries with trade surpluses have taken advantage of Americans. 'We're just not going to get ripped off anymore,' Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said. But even if the trade surplus were an economically meaningful number, ending student visas is counterproductive because, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, they amount to a $50.2 billion export. The effect of canceling student visas is to increase the trade deficit. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced that the administration will more aggressively review visas for Chinese students with ties to the Communist Party and who study 'critical fields.' Espionage is a legitimate concern, although an overblown one, but sending a signal to intelligent and hard-working Chinese students that the U.S. doesn't want them will do more harm. If the administration is truly worried about China, it makes little sense to lock their smartest students in a communist dictatorship during a trade war in which one of the main goals is to reduce the trade deficit with China (even though the latter point isn't important). Beyond just the myopic assaults on immigration, policing international students' speech isn't a worthy task for America's border bureaucrats. And even if it were, they should be able to do it without pausing all student visas. The Trump administration should abandon this endeavor before it starts. This article was originally published on
