Number of Vietnamese higher education students in U.S. increases for 18th straight year

The report for the 2018-2019 academic year (AY) shows that Viet Nam remains the sixth leading country of origin for all international higher education students in the United States, with 24,392 students studying at U.S. institutes of higher education, a 0.3% increase from AY 2017-2018.  Vietnamese students contribute nearly US$1 billion to the U.S. economy.  

Of the 24,392 Vietnamese higher education students in the United States, 69.9% were undergraduates, 15.2% were graduate level students, 10.2% enrolled in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and the remaining 4.6% were pursuing non-degree programs.  

The data also revealed that Viet Nam is becoming a more popular destination for American students.  The number of American students studying abroad in Viet Nam increased 7.1%, from 1,147 in AY 2016-17 to 1,228 in AY 2017-18.  

The Open Doors report is released annually during International Education Week (IEW), 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.  

The U.S. Mission to Viet Nam is celebrating IEW 2019 by holding training workshops for university and high school guidance counselors in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and information sessions in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to promote study in the United States 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 Viet Nam after Can Tho, on November 18 to increase access for students in the Mekong Delta region to learn about the United States, English-language learning materials, and Education USA services.

With a total of approximately 30,000 Vietnamese students pursuing studies at all levels in the United States, the U.S. Mission to Viet Nam will continue to promote opportunities for Vietnamese students to study in the United States through its Education USA services, American Centers in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City, and American Hangouts in Can Tho and An Giang.  

By Thuy Dung