The number of Indian students enrolled at universities in the United States dropped by 4.4 percent from 2,02,014 in the academic year spanning 2018-19 to 1,93,124 in 2019-20, reveals a study sponsored by the US government.
This means that in 2019-20, around 8,890 lesser students took up courses in US varsities, at a time when the Trump administration’s multiple visa restrictions and its anti-immigrant policies had reached their peak.
In 2017-18, the number of Indian students stood at 1,96,271.
What is more alarming, however, is the fact that in fall 2020, new international students at US universities dropped by 42 percent – a lump widely attributed to the coronavirus pandemic.
The findings are part of Open Doors 2020, an annual survey conducted by the International Institute in partnership with the US State Department.
Number of Indian Students in 2020-21 Likely to Drop Further
While it is not clear that how many in this drop are likely to be from India, it is almost certain that that the number will rise by a significant percentage.
And the reason behind it is simple – Indians account for 18 percent of the one million international students enrolled in US universities and collages, second only to China, which has the lion’s share of 35 percent.
However, around 90 percent of the 700 institutions surveyed said that students have deferred their enrollment, meaning that they will seek admission next year.
Meanwhile, the number of international students who are already in US and are not being able to attend physical classes has increased to 28 percent.
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