India led all foreign-born groups in the US as the country-of-birth of science and engineering degree holders in 2010, according to a brief released in late November by the US Census Bureau.

The India-born in the US 25 years of age or older and holding science and engineering degrees totaled 747,000, about 18% of the foreign-born population of about 4,160,000 with degrees in those fields.

China was the next largest country-of-birth among the foreign-born in science and engineering at 516,000 (12%), while the Europe-born totaled 17.6% of those degrees.

Those born in Asia in 2010 held 57 percent of the science and engineering degrees among the foreign-born population.

The India-born were even more dominant in some science and engineering disciplines.

For example, in the field of computers, mathematics and statistics, those born in India held 24% of all degrees held by the foreign-born, with those born in China a distant second at 14%. The Europe-born held 15.5% of these degrees.

In engineering, those born in India held 22% of the degrees, with China second at 12.6%, and the Europe-born having 17.2% of the degrees.

In the field of physical and related sciences, the India-born held 19.9% of the degrees among foreign-born in the US, followed by China at 17.5%. Those born in Europe held 18.8%.

In biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, the India-born held 14.6% of the degrees among the foreign-born, followed closely by China at 13.7%. Those born in Europe held 15.8% of the degrees.

Only in social sciences, psychology and multi-disciplinary sciences were the India-born less dominant.

In social sciences, those born in India held just 8.7% of the degrees. Those born in Europe and the Caribbean held 21.5% and 19.4%, respectively. China was right behind India at 8.4%.

In psychology, the totals were Caribbean, 31.6%; Europe, 18.8%; India, 8.1%; Mexico, 7.9%; and Philippines, 6.9%.

In multi-disciplinary sciences, the Caribbean led at 22.8%; followed by Europe, 13.3%; the Philippines, 10.5%; India, 8.6%; and Korea, 8.3%.

The breakdown by percentages in specific fields of the India-born was: engineering, 43.1%; computers, mathematics and statistics, 21.4%; physical and related sciences, 12.8%; biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, 11.8%; social sciences, 7.2%; psychology, 3.1%; and multi-disciplinary sciences, 0.5%.

Foreign-born residents in the US represented 33% of all bachelor's degree holders in engineering fields; 27% in computers, mathematics and statistics; 24% in physical sciences; and 17% in biological, agricultural and environmental sciences.

Source: India-West