Foreign students' applications to US schools rise

Washington, Apr 17: For a second consecutive year, foreign students' applications for admission to master's and doctoral programmes at US colleges and universities have risen strongly, with the highest number of 17 per cent from China, followed by 9 per cent from West Asia and six per cent from India.

''US graduate schools continue to make progress in their efforts to increase their international student enrollments,'' according to a study by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).

Enrollment figures for international graduate students declined in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States but have rebounded. Applications rose 12 per cent from 2005 to 2006, and 8 per cent between 2006 and 2007.

Although applications are on the rise, they remain below pre-2001 levels, according to the CGS.

In terms of total enrollment, a previous CGS survey showed an increase of one per cent in fall 2006 as compared to fall 2005 enrollment numbers. The latest survey shows a 12 per cent increase in first-time enrollment for fall 2006 compared with a one per cent increase in 2005 above 2004 levels.

According to the CGS, there is a trend towards faster growth in international student enrollments at the largest institutions.

At the ten largest colleges and universities, international graduate applications rose 13 per cent, compared with gains of 5 per cent for those institutions with international graduate enrollments below the largest 50.

India, China and Korea are the top three countries of origin for international students enrolled in US graduate schools, accounting for 53 per cent of the total, CGS says. Students from West Asia account for 5 per cent of total enrollment.

According to Open Doors 2006, a study by the Institute of International Education, about 565,039 students came from around the world to study at schools of higher education in the United States in 2006.

The leading country of origin was India, which sent 76,503 students, followed by China and the Republic of Korea, which sent 62,582 and 58,847 students, respectively.

UNI