“Universities and educational institutions in the United States will continue to welcome students from other countries to pursue their higher studies”, said Consular Chief Charles Luoma Overstreet. A senior official of the US Consulate General stated that foreign students were most welcome to join colleges and universities in the country to pursue their higher education in a wide range of subjects.
The Consular Chief, when asked whether the newly elected president Donald Trump will take measures to reduce the number of students entering the US, clearly denied the statement and said the country will still continue taking in students for its various programs. He also added that the standard of universities and other educational institutions in the United States are high and offer good opportunities for students and hence would continue to attract students from all over the world.
The report also highlighted a specially designed program to develop higher education in the USA and wherein the Consular Chief was a key member. There has been an upward trend in the incoming foreign student numbers into the US to the extent of 7.1% with the current numbers being 1043839, and growing.
With an increase of over 24%, Indian students were the group with the maximum increase of numbers, with a current cohort size of 165918. The overall percentage of foreign students currently studying in the US is a little over 5%.