According to the latest Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (IIE), the number of Indian students studying in American universities and colleges fell 4.4 per cent in 2019-20 (FY20) year-on-year (YoY) to 193,124., against 5.3 per cent growth in 2017-18 (FY18) at 196,271 and 2.92 per cent in 2018-19 (FY19) at 202,014.
Released annually, the Open Doors Report on IIE depicts trends around international students in the US as well as US students studying abroad, and is sponsored by the US Department of State with funding provided by the US government.
Experts attributed the decrease to Trump’s rise to power and tough immigration stance, coupled with Canada turning more immigrant-friendly.
For the past few years, the number of new students going to the US had been decreasing. Moreover, the number of F1 visas issued to international students had also been on the slide.
At 18 per cent, the Indian student population in the US is second only to China, which forms nearly 35 per cent of the total international students studying in the US.
The ongoing pandemic has also drastically cut international student participation in US colleges and universities this year, punctuating three years of declining enrollment tied to costs, immigration barriers and perceived chaos in American society.
In the school year that began three months ago, new enrollment of international students dropped 43% because of COVID-19. Nearly 40,000 students — mostly incoming freshmen — have deferred enrollment at 90% of US institutions to a future term.