(Image source from: Gulf News)

Indian students studying in the United States has considerably increased over years and significantly over the last year it had risen by 5.4 percent making it total 196,271, according to the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange released on Tuesday.

According to an official statement, this marks the fifth consecutive year that the total number of Indians pursuing their higher education in the U.S. has grown.

Speaking at the U.S.-Indian Educational Foundation (USIEF), Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs Joseph Pomper said, "Looking at the past 10 years of data, the number of Indians going to the United States has doubled. The reasons are clear: Indian students are looking for a great education and the United States continues to offer this."

Pomper also stated that the Embassy continued to see well qualified Indians applying to study in the United States as well as record attendance at the U.S. university fairs held across the country.

According to the report, Indians comprise nearly 18 percent of all international students in the U.S., surpassed only by China. India provided the second highest amount of graduate students and fourth-most undergraduates. Also of note, the number of American students studying in India rose to 4,704 - 12.5 percent more than the year before.

"I am thrilled to see a significant increase in the number of American university students choosing India as a study abroad destination," said Adam Grotsky, Director of USIEF. "At USIEF, we believe that student exchange programs are one of the best ways to foster meaningful relationships and promote mutual understanding between American and Indian citizens."

In 2017-18, the U.S. colleges and universities hosted more than one million international students for the third consecutive year. This marks the 12th consecutive year of continued expansion.

The top places of origin for international students studying in the U.S. were China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Canada, Vietnam, Taiwan, Japan, Mexico, and Brazil. The top host states were New York, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and Florida.

Open Doors is issued by the Institute of International Education (IIE), which has carried out a yearly statistical survey on international students in the U.S. since its initiation in 1919 and in partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs since 1972.

-Sowmya Sangam