A recent report has found that there has been a 5.7% increase of Guyanese students studying in the US, representing a slight increase after five years of decline, the US Embassy in Georgetown stated today in a news release.
According to the release, the Open Doors 2010 annual report on international academic mobility, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State, has reported that the number of Guyanese students enrolled in US institutions of higher education in 2009/10 increased from 280 to 296, a 5.7% increase compared to the previous year.
The release revealed that of the 296 Guyanese studying in the US, 144 are pursuing studies at the undergraduate level; 112 are enrolled in graduate programmes and 40 in non-degree programmes. Nassau Community College (11.61%) is the top receiving college and New York (35.60%) is the top receiving state for Guyanese studying in the US.
The US Embassy also said that this year’s report shows the total number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 3% to 690,923 during the 2009/10 academic year. “This represents a record high number of international students in the United States. This year’s growth was primarily driven by a 30% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to a total of nearly 128,000 students, or more than 18% of the total international student population, making China the leading sending country. Students from India increased by 2% to a total of nearly 105,000 and represent 15% of all international students in U.S. higher education,” the release said.
The report stated that the 2009/10 enrollments have been affected by decisions made in a period of economic downturn in the United States and in many countries around the world. The data reveals a complicated picture of international student enrollment in US colleges and universities, with enrollment patterns varying widely according to place of origin and academic level. “There were strong increases in the number of students from a few countries, but more than half of the top 25 sending countries showed decreases, resulting in a slower rate of overall growth than had been seen in recent years. Each of the top five host U.S. states, California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois, saw increases in the number of international students,” the Embassy said.
