HCM CITY— The number of Vietnamese students in the US has increased for 17 straight years, according to the Institute of International Education’s annual “Open Doors” report. 

The report for the 2017-18 academic year shows Việt Nam remained the sixth leading country of origin for international students in the US, sending more than 24,300 students, nearly 1,900 students more than the previous year.

The report shows 1.09 million international students came in the 2017-18, a 1.5 per cent increase. 

They made up 5.5 per cent of all higher education students, up slightly from 5.3 per cent in the previous year. 

Vietnamese students contributed $881 million to the US economy. Of the more than 24,300 coming during the year, 69.6 per cent were undergraduates, 15.2 per cent were graduate-level students, 8.6 per cent enrolled in optional practical training and the remaining 6.6 per cent in non-degree programmes. 

Engineering, business and management, and maths and computer science were the most popular streams for international students.

Maths and computer science were the fastest growing fields with an increase of 11.3 per cent from the previous year, followed by legal studies and law enforcement at 10.4 per cent. 

The top 10 states for international students were California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.

The report also revealed that Việt Nam is becoming a more popular destination for American students, with 1,147 students coming in 2016-17, an increase of 13.3 per cent. 

Open Doors is published annually during the International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative by the US Department of State and Department of Education.

The US embassy in Hà Nội is celebrating the 2018 IEW with an open house and various information sessions in Hà Nội and Quảng Bình and Quảng Trị provinces to promote education in the US and provide information on student visas and government scholarship opportunities.

The US Consulate General in HCM City is marking the week with a series of activities in Huế City and at the American Centre in HCM City. — VNS