The number of American students studying abroad in Vietnam increased 7.1 percent, from 1,147 in the 2016-17 academic year to 1,228 in 2017-18, the mission said, quoting the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) annual ‘Open Doors’ Report.
A U.S. university counselor (R) gives advice to a Vietnamese student at a fair in Ho Chi Minh City in March 2019. Photo: Ha Binh / Tuoi Tre
The number of Vietnamese higher education students in the United States also rose over the past year, marking 18 consecutive years of growth, according to the same report released on Monday.
Vietnam remains the sixth leading country of origin for all international higher education students in the U.S. in the 2018-19 academic year, with 24,392 students studying at American higher education institutions, a 0.3 percent hike from 2017-18.
Vietnamese students contribute nearly $1 billion to the U.S. economy.
There are currently a total of approximately 30,000 Vietnamese students pursuing studies at all levels in the U.S.
Of the 24,392 Vietnamese higher education students in the U.S., 69.9 percent were undergraduates, 15.2 percent were graduate-level students, 10.2 percent enrolled in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and the remaining 4.6 percent were pursuing non-degree programs.
The U.S. Mission to Vietnam says it is celebrating International Education Week 2019 by holding training workshops for university and high school guidance counselors in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and information sessions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to promote study in the U.S. and provide information on U.S. government scholarship opportunities.
Consul General Marie Damour also opened the American Hangout at An Giang University, the second in Vietnam after Can Tho, on Monday to increase access for students in the Mekong Delta region to learn about the U.S., English-language learning materials, and EducationUSA services.
The Open Doors report said that 1,095,299 international students were studying at U.S. higher education institutes during the 2018-19 academic year, a 0.05 percent increase over 2017-18.
The U.S. remains the top host of international higher education students globally with 21 percent of the total, double the number of students as the next closest competitor.
Engineering, math and computer science, and business and management remain the top fields of study for international students enrolled in U.S. higher education institutes in 2018-19.
Agriculture was the fastest growing field of study with an expansion of 10.3 percent from 2017-18, followed by math and computer science with a surge of 9.4 percent from 2017-18.
The top 10 states for international higher education students remain California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.
The Open Doors report is released annually during International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.