India has become the no. 1 sender of international students to the United States for the first time since 2009. It means that Indians have become a major player in the US colleges, workplaces, politics, and economy.
As per the US Department of State’s Open Doors 2024, the American economy got a massive $50 billion boost from international students in 2023. Among them, Indian students made up the largest share with 331, 602, up 23% from the previous year.
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On the other hand, rising tensions between the US and China had an impact on the influx of students. Chinese nationals in US universities dropped from 27.4% to 24.6% according to the report.
While STEM fields remain the most popular among Indian students, there is a shift towards other courses. Fine and applied arts saw a growth of 5% whereas technical courses only saw a 2% increase from last year.
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American students coming to India for higher education also saw a mammoth increase of 300% this year. These numbers show a thriving relationship between the US and India as foreign students act as a bridge between the two countries.