On US campuses, a familiar Indian story

The emergence of Indian students as the largest group of international students in the US is the culmination of a natural trend seen for many years.

Students from India have, in fact, recovered their position as the largest international cohort which they had in 2009. Chinese students had overtaken Indian students since then.

According to the latest Open Doors 2024 report released this week, there were 3.31 lakh Indian students in the US in 2023-24, making up 29.4 per cent of its 11 lakh-strong international student population. It was 25.4 per cent the previous academic year.

The number of Chinese students in the US in 2023-24 stood at 2.77 lakh, having dropped to 24 per cent from 27.4 per cent in the previous year. The number of Indian students has increased in all disciplines and at both undergraduate and graduate levels.

While the number of Chinese students has been declining, especially after the Covid pandemic, mainly for geopolitical reasons, there are many reasons for the steady increase in the number of Indian students.

The standards of Chinese universities have improved in recent years, while there is no world-class institution offering higher education in India. Along with expanding demography, there is a class in India with rising aspirations that considers quality education essential for life. A liberal education loan regime and the possibility of securing jobs and hopes of getting permanent residency, or even citizenship, have prompted more and more Indian students to look for opportunities in the US.

Students from all states and rural areas have opted for higher studies in the US, but Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have dominated the numbers. Many students have also opted to study in Europe, but for most, it is the second choice.

Most Indian students who go to the US are graduate students who study science or engineering. Career prospects in the US are the major attraction and most Indian students are competitive on the campus and in the workplace.

There is considerable Indian presence in most US technological companies and some are led by Indians. Some return to India to find opportunities. At present, the US needs and welcomes students from other countries for various reasons. While Indians can make use of the opportunities when they can and when the going is good, the situation can change in the future if policies and the present environment change.

The exposure does a lot of good to them. But ideally, the standards of higher education in the country should improve so that students will not feel the need to go abroad, and the country should be able to absorb its growing number of qualified young men and women in industry, services and other fields.