Nepali students in US increase by 28 percent

The number of Nepali students currently enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States has increased by 27.9 percent in the 2006-07 academic year.

According to a report published by the Institute of International Education (IIE), an independent non-profit exchange organisation based in New York, the number of Nepali students in the US increased to 7,754 in the 2006-2007 academic year from 6,061 in the previous year.

The increase makes Nepal the thirteenth leading country of origin of international students in the United States, the IIE’s Open Doors 2007 report stated.

Of the 7,754 Nepali students currently enrolled in US colleges and universities, 66.9 percent are pursuing undergraduate (bachelor’s) degrees and 26.2 percent are enrolled in graduate (master’s or doctoral) programmes.

Currently, over half a million international students are enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, making it a leading destination for international students. According to the report, the US witnessed a 3.2 percent growth in international students in the academic year 2006-2007, with numbers increasing from 564,766 to 582,984.

According to the US embassy, interest in U.S. higher education continues to grow in many countries around the world, including Nepal. In 170 countries, the US government supports 450 ‘EducationUSA’ advising centres that provide students with information on U.S. higher education.

United States Educational Foundation (USEF-Nepal) located at Gyaneswor, Kathmandu, is the only ‘EducationUSA’ centre in Nepal, which provides free counseling and reference library services. It also administers the Fulbright, Humphrey and East-West Center fellowships. nepalnews.com mk Nov 13 07