The 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange finds that the number of Nepali students in U.S. colleges and universities jumped by 18.4% in the past year. This increase comes after six years of decline in the number of students going to the U.S. for higher education -- almost 30% decrease since 2009. In addition, for the first time, the number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities surpassed one million during the 2015-16 academic year—an increase of seven percent from the previous year.

“With 9,662 students enrolled for the academic year, Nepalis are one of the fastest growing student communities in the United States. U.S. universities and colleges hosted a new high of nearly 1,044,000 international students enrolled in the past year, representing five percent of the total student population,” states a press statement issued by The U.S. Embassy in Nepal.

As part of International Education Week, the U.S. Embassy hosted an Education Fair at the Yak and Yeti Hotel on Monday, November 14th.  Students met with representatives from 20 U.S. Higher Education Institututions throughout the day. U.S. Embassy consular officers also shared information about how students can be better prepared, make active choices about their education based upon independent and unbiased research, and avoid the trap of unnecessary and expensive educational consultancies.  For more information on studying in the U.S. visit:  http://www.usefnepal.org.

The release of the new Open Doors data marks the celebration of International Education Week, a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, which is designed to attract future leaders from other countries to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.  For more data, infographics and resources on the 2016 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, visit http://www.iie.org/ Open-Doors.