Vietnam Ranks Fifth in Number of International Students in US, According to Report

Students from Vietnam now represent the fifth largest group of international students in the United States, the annual “Open Doors” report released by the Institute of International Education (IIE) has revealed.

Last year, according to the same report, Vietnamese students represented the sixth largest group of international students in the country, Erudera.com reports.

“As the United States approaches the 10th Anniversary of U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership, the Open Doors data is demonstrable proof that education remains a cornerstone of the bilateral relationship, while the nature of our current educational cooperation is already strategic,” US Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Genevieve Judson-Jourdain said.

Data indicate that the number of Vietnamese students in the US institutions has increased at almost all levels of study. The number of students in graduate programs has increased by 6.5 percent, non-degree programs by 23.3 percent, whereas of those at Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs by 4.4 percent.

In a statement posted on its website, the US Embassy and Consulate in Vietnam said that based on the “economy size and measured through GDP output,” report shows that Vietnam now is the largest source of international students to the US compared to all other countries.

“Vietnamese students also continue to demonstrate a strong footing in strategically important subjects across U.S. institutions such as science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and business/management studies. The percentage of Vietnamese students pursuing STEM and business/management majors are 47.1 percent and 25.6 percent respectively,” the embassy’s statement reads.

Overall, international students in the United States increased by 4 percent during the 2021/22 academic year, whereas the number of international students enrolling for the first time at US universities and colleges rose by 80 percent. Figures also show an increase in the number of new international student enrollment across all US states, with 40 of 50 states experiencing a rise of more than 50 percent.

>> Number of International Students in US Increases Again After a Drop During Pandemic

The embassy said that the US Mission in Vietnam is dedicated to strengthening the partnerships between universities in Vietnam and those in the United States regarding research and exchanges for students, faculty, and staff in the two countries.

Open Doors report has also shown that the United States has experienced the highest increase in the number of students from Turkey in more than ten years. Turkish students enrolled at US higher education institutions in the 2021/22 academic year increased by 4.4 percent. After the report's publication, the US Mission in Türkiye said that the results show the strong partnership in education between Turkey and the United States.