According to the latest Open Doors (OD) report on international educational exchange, released today by the Institute of International Education (IIE) to kick off International Education Week (IEW), there were over 1 million international students studying in the US in 2015/16.  NOTE:  In contrast to the SEVIS by the Numbers quarterly updates, the OD data are always one-year old and limited to institutions of higher education. 

Viet Nam ranks 6th with the second highest percentage increase (14.3%) – after India (24.9%). 

Among the top 10 places of origin, only three (3) recorded substantial increases, including India, Viet Nam, and China (8.1%).  Japan remained the same and Taiwan increased by less than 1% while four(4) countries sent fewer students to the US:  Brazil (-18.2%), South Korea (-4.2%), Mexico (-1.9%) and Canada (-1%).  Declining enrollment among a number of the top 20 sending countries could very well continue and, in some cases, accelerate, during a Trump administration.

Not surprisingly, Viet Nam remains a solid undergraduate market.  The breakdown by category is as follows: 

Undergraduate – 67.23%
Graduate – 15.09%
Non-Degree – 9.8%
OPT (Optional Practical Training) – 7.8%

The top fields of study among Vietnamese students are – in descending order:

• Business/Management:  29.8%
• Social Sciences:  10.6%
• Intensive English:  9.8%
• Engineering:  9.6%
• Math/Computer Science:  8.8%
• Other/Undecided:  8.4%
• Physical/Life Sciences:  5.1%
• Fine/Applied Arts:  3.9%
• Health Professions:  3.8%
• Education:  1.2%
• Humanities:  1.1%

MAA