Over 7,000 students from Bangladesh were studying in the US in the 2016-17 academic year, registering a nearly 10% growth from the previous year, a US report said on Monday.
The total of 7,143 ranks Bangladesh in 25th place among the countries sending students to the US for higher education, according to the 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange data released by Institute of International Education (IIE) and US Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
While the number of international students has increased by 3%, the number of American students studying overseas has also increased by 4%, in comparison to last year.
The list was topped by China with 350,755 students, followed by India with 186,267 students. Nepal, the only other South Asian country among the top 25, was ranked 13th.
According to the report, a majority of Bangladeshi students in the US study at graduate level.
The breakdown reported 25.4% undergraduate, 60.5% graduate, 12.8% Optional Practical Training (OPT) and 1.4% for other educational purposes in 2016-2017.
As per US Department of Commerce estimates, Bangladeshi students in US colleges and universities contributed $249 million to their economy.
While the number of students from Bangladesh was at its peak in 2000-2001 at about 4,100, it had subsequently decreased for seven years to as low as 2,300. Since 2011 the number has swelled, to the record high of 7,143 students in 2016-2017.
According to the report, American colleges and universities hosted more than one million international students for two years in a row in 2016-2017, reaching a record high of 1.08 million. Furthermore, the record also marks the eleventh consecutive year of continued expansion for the total number of international students in US higher education, said the report.
Notably, the number of new international students – those enrolled at a US institution for the first time in autumn 2016 - declined by nearly 10,000 students to a total of 291,000, a 3% decrease from the previous year.
This is the first time that these numbers had declined in the six years since Open Doors has reported new enrolments.
The factors driving the decline include a mix of global and local economic conditions, and in some cases, expanded higher education opportunities at home and declining populations, the report said.
“International student exchange is an essential contributor to America’s economic competitiveness and national security,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Policy in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Alyson L Grunder.
“The US higher education sector remains the global leader in welcoming students from around the world, and at the same time, we are committed to increasing opportunities to study abroad for Americans.”
IIE president and CEO Allan E Goodman said that countries and multinational employers around the world are competing to attract top talents. “As more countries become active hosts of international students and implement national strategies to attract them, the competition for top global talent in higher education and the workforce will only intensify,” he said.
Noting that students continue to be attracted to the high quality and diverse opportunities offered by colleges and universities in the US, he said it is critical for US institutions to set strategic goals and be proactive in reaching out to students and families in a wide range of countries in the coming year. Hence, the United States must keep its academic doors open to students from all over the world.