The New York based, Institute of International Education has released its annual report detailing the state of international admissions at US universities. In its Open Door’s report, they say that with 94,563 students coming from India, makes us the nation with the highest amount of talent coming to US universities to pursue higher education options. Here is a quick jist from their study.

Total foreign student numbers up 7%; New enrollments up 10%

Top three sending countries post double-digit increases

India up 13%, China up 20%, South Korea up 11%

USC is top host university; California is top host state; NYC is top host city;

Business and Management (20%) is top field of study followed closely by engineering (17%)

Here are some more graphs for you to be able to see where India students stand in the larger context of international students in the US.

Basically, among other things, what this graph shows is that larger and larger number of Indians are now able to afford higher priced education. And are in fact willing to take loans to meet expenses of studying abroad. Of course, this comes with the confidence of being able to repay that loan over time based on employment, etc. With the impending economic crisis, people might be more skeptical on those issues, but in my view - the good people are still being hired, that is, more people are being hired than fired. And the ones to get fired first are the ones who are at non-engineering/non-graduate level positions. So, i would say, the higher end of the market, which forms most of the 94,563 students coming to the US from India, are still at a much better level to pay back loans and in fact save and excel in such tumultuous conditions.

Here is another graph:

China and South Korea form an important community of international students at US universities. However, Indian students have been flying over the Atlantic and over the Pacific in search for higher education and skill improvement, in larger numbers than ever. This speaks for the growing pool of raw talent coming out from the country, raring to have a go at the best in the world. Many of these students come back and work in India at much inflated pay packets. The learning gathered at US institutes add a dimension to your profile/resume/experience like none other can. I have graduated from a top 10 engineering college in India, and have friends from IITs, but even they agree that even a top 40 school in the US takes learning/education/professionalism to another plane. We at kaaledge.com hope that you would be inspired to embark on a challenging and in many ways life changing experience of gaining more knowledge and contributing to the “flat-world”! In case you cant get enough of data - here is more at Nanopolitan.