Bangladeshi Students Studying in United States Reach New All-Time High
Over 8,800 Bangladeshi students studied in the United States in the 2019/2020 academic year, making Bangladesh the 17th country worldwide sending students to the United States for higher education.
DHAKA, November 16, 2020 – In celebration of International Education Week (IEW), November 16-20, 2020, a joint U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education initiative, U.S. Embassy Dhaka is pleased to announce more than 8,800 Bangladeshi students chose to study in the United States during the 2019/2020 academic year, according to the 2020 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange. This is a new all-time high for Bangladesh, reflecting a 7.1% increase over the 2019 report (8,249 students), more than tripling since 2009. Promoting educational exchanges between Bangladesh and the United States is a strategic priority for U.S. Embassy Dhaka. International education exchanges benefit both our nations and peoples, boosting intellectual and cross-cultural capital as well as business and professional networks, and helping prepare students to enter the global job markets and solve the world’s toughest challenges.
Bangladesh is among the fastest growing countries of origin for international students in the United States. It now ranks 17th in the world, up from 20the place last year, of countries sending students to the United States for higher education. Bangladesh had the highest percentage growth among the top 20 countries, and the highest increase in the South Asian region. Out of the 8,838 Bangladeshi students studying in the United States in 2019/2020, 5,787 studied at the graduate level; a 9.6% increase over 2018/2019 academic year, moving Bangladesh from 9th to 8th place in the world for graduate students studying in the United States.
More than 75% of Bangladeshi students currently on U.S. campuses study in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). Of them, over 41 percent study Engineering, over 19 percent – Math/Computer Science, and over 15 percent – Physical or Life Sciences. Nearly seven percent study Business/Management and nearly six percent study Social Sciences. Nearly 1,300 Bangladeshi students (14% of all Bangladeshi students) during the 2019/2020 academic year participated in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) – on-the-job training in one’s field of study – as part of their studies in the United States.
The 2020 Open Doors® Report on International Educational Exchange released today by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the non-profit Institute of International Education (IIE), reveals the United States remained the top destination for international students. For the fifth consecutive year, the United States hosted more than one million international students (1,075,496) during the 2019/2020 academic year. Despite a slight decline (1.8%) in the number of international students in the United States during the 2019/2020 academic year, this group still represents 5.5% of all students in U.S. higher education.
The U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, through EducationUSA Bangladesh, is celebrating International Education Week (IEW) by offering a number of virtual programs for Bangladeshi students and scholars to join. Over the next five days, our EdUSA advising centers in Bangladesh will host 10 webinars on various topics related to studying in the United States. Programs will feature Bangladeshi students currently studying at Michigan State, Yale University, McNeese State University, and New York University, and representatives from the following U.S. higher education institutions: Bentley University, California State University at San Bernardino, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida International University, Hamilton College. Midway University, Minnesota State University, Missouri Western State University, New York University’s (NYU) Tandon School of Engineering, Northern Arizona University, Orange Coast College, Pepperdine University, State University of New York at Oswego and New Paltz, Stony Brook University, University of Houston-Victoria, University of New Mexico, University of Northern Iowa, University of South Dakota, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire and Milwaukee, and Valparaiso University. For more information about upcoming programs visit: https://www.facebook.com/EdUSABangladesh or write to EducationUSA-Bangla@state.gov.
EducationUSA is the official U.S. government source for information about studying in the United States with a global network of over 430 advising centers. In Bangladesh, EducationUSA’s mission is to facilitate free access to information about study opportunities in the United States. Due to Covid-19, since early March 2020, EducationUSA services shifted entirely online. Trained advisers from the different American Spaces listed below provide virtual group information sessions and one-on-one advising services for students and parents free of charge:
- American Center at U.S. Embassy Dhaka
- Edward M. Kennedy (EMK) Center for Public Service and the Arts located in Dhanmondi
- American Corner Chittagong (Chittagong Independent University, 12 Jamal Khan Road Chittagong – 4000)
- American Corner Khulna (Northern University of Business and Technology Khulna Khulna Campus, Shib Bari More, Khulna)
- American Corner Sylhet (Sylhet International University Shamimabad, Bagbari, Sylhet)
- American Corner Rajshahi (Varendra University House No# 532, Jahangir Shoroni, Talaimari Rajshahi-6204).
Open Doors is a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutes in the United States, and U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit at their home colleges or universities. Open Doors also reports on the number of international scholars at U.S. universities and international students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs. The annual report was released today, Monday, November 16, 2020. Additional information about the Open Doors 2020 report will be posted at https://opendoorsdata.org/annual-release/. For more information on International Education Week (IEW) please visit https://iew.state.gov.
