Latest figures reveal number of Vietnamese students in US continues ever upwards.

Illustrative photo

The number of Vietnamese students in the US has increased every year for 16 years, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE)’s annual “Open Doors” report.

The report for the 2016-2017 academic year shows that Vietnam remains the sixth leading country of origin for international students in the US, with 22,438, up 1,035 from the 2015-16 academic year, or nearly 5 per cent. There were 1,078,822 international students in the US in 2016-2017, a 3.4 per cent increase over the previous year. International students now make up 5.3 per cent of all higher education students in the country, up slightly from the 5.2 per cent recorded in the previous year.

Of the 22,438 Vietnamese students in the US, 68 per cent are undergraduates, 15.6 per cent graduate-level students, 9 per cent undertaking Optional Practical Training (OPT), and the remaining 7.4 per cent pursuing non-degree programs.

Engineering, Business and Management, and Math and Computer Science remain the top selected fields of study by international students. Math and Computer Science are the fastest growing fields of study, rising 18 per cent from the previous academic year. The Top 10 states for international students are California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

Vietnam is also becoming a more popular destination for US students, welcoming 1,012 students in the 2016-17 academic year, an increase of 9.8 per cent.

Coming on the heels of President Donald Trump’s visit to Vietnam, the data demonstrates the increasingly strong ties between the two countries. As President Trump noted in his address to the APEC CEO Summit: “Vietnamese students rank among the best students in the world. And that is very impressive.”

Education remains a cornerstone of the US-Vietnam bilateral relationship and the US will continue to promote opportunities for Vietnamese students to study in the county through EducationUSA and American Centers in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City./.

VNF/Vneconomic Times