Vietnamese students in US increase for 16th straight year

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The report for the 2016-2017 academic year (AY) shows that Vietnam remains the sixth leading country of origin for all international students in the United States, with 22,438 students, up 1,035 students since last AY 2015-16, a nearly 5 percent increase. 

EducationUSA Fair 2017 organized by the U.S. Embassy Hanoi/

The data shows that 1,078,822 international students came to the United States in the 2016-2017 AY, a 3.4 percent increase over last year.  International students now make up 5.3 percent of all higher education students in the United States, up slightly from 5.2 percent last year.

 Of the 22,438 Vietnamese students in the United States, 68 percent were undergraduates, 15.6 percent were graduate level students, 9 percent enrolled in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and the remaining 7.4 percent were pursuing non-degree programs.

 Engineering, Business and Management, and Math and Computer Science remain the top selected fields of study by international students in AY2016-17.  Math and Computer Science were the fastest growing fields of study with a positive change of 18 percent from AY 2015-16.  

The top 10 states for international students include California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. 

The data also revealed that Vietnam is becoming a more popular destination for American students.  In AY2016-17, Vietnam welcomed 1,012 students from the United States, an increase of 9.8 percent. 

Coming on the heels of President Trump’s visit, this data demonstrates the increasingly strong ties between the United States and Vietnam.  As President Trump noted in his speech at the APEC CEO Summit, “Vietnamese students rank among the best students in the world.  And that is very impressive.”