The 2007 Numbers from the NSF: Indian Graduate Students Predominate

February 13, 2008

According to an NSF report released in late January, one-third of all students pursuing Master's and Ph.D.'s in science and engineering at U.S. universities last year were from India.

Furthermore, Indian students in the U.S. accounted for more than 50% of all foreign students enrolled in computer science courses and for more than 40% percent of those in engineering. Chinese and South Korean students were second and third.

In the mathematical and physical sciences, however, Chinese graduate students outnumbered those from India, South Korea, or Taiwan.

Statistics show that of the 265,835 foreign graduate students in the U.S. in 2007, Indian students numbered 66,534; Chinese, 48,253; South Korean, 25,725; and Taiwanese, 19,013.

Of the 141,767 science and engineering graduate students, India sent 46,743 students to the U.S.; China, 32,167; South Korea, 10,068; and Taiwan, 6,084.

In engineering 54,935 foreign graduate students were enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities in 2007. India accounted for 24,148 students, followed by China, 11,141; South Korea, 4,083; and Taiwan, 2,412.

In graduate mathematics programs, Chinese students numbered 3,240; Indian, 824; South Korean, 638; and Taiwanese, 334.

Source: NDTV