More Indians applying to U.S. graduate programs

New Delhi | April 15, 2011

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported that the number of Indian applicants to U.S. graduate programs increased by 7% this year. This follows a 1% increase the previous year.

Commenting on the increase in the number of Indian applicants to U.S. graduate programs, United States-India Educational Foundation Executive Director Adam Grotsky said, "This is welcome news. The United States welcomes all qualified Indian students to study in America. Indian students are a vital element of graduate schools on hundreds of American campuses. This educational exchange brings our two great democracies closer, and lays the foundation for greater cooperation and understanding".

Overall, graduate applications to U.S. universities from overseas students have risen by 9% over the previous year, the sixth year running of continuous increases. International students form an integral core of the graduate student population in the U.S., accounting for 15.5% of the total.

The most popular fields among international students for studies at the Master's and Ph.D levels in the U.S. are engineering, physical and earth sciences (including computer science and mathematics), and business studies. These fields account for 62% of the total graduate-level applications to the U.S.

A copy of the CGS report is available here. (PDF 133K)