WASHINGTON – The number of Indian students at US colleges surged 23 per cent in the last academic year, overtaking those from China, making India the top sender of international students to the country for the first time since 2009, and driving enrolment to an all-time high.

       India sent 331,602 students to study at US colleges in the 2023-2024 school year, according to Open Doors data from the Institute of International Education (IIE).

       Overall, the number of foreign students rose 7 per cent to more than 1.1 million, surpassing the all-time high set just prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

       China posted a 4 per cent decline to 277,398 students, but still sent the second-most number of students to the United States.

       China and India combined account for more than half of all international students in the US at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

       And while the number of Chinese students has slipped in recent years amid rising geopolitical tensions, it remains the top sending country for undergrads.

       The number of international students in the US has been growing rapidly after a pandemic-induced plunge.

       And while President-elect Donald Trump has yet to reveal concrete immigration policies, many are questioning what a second term could mean for international students.

       Trump in June said all foreign students who graduate from a US college should receive green cards, but the campaign later walked back the comments.

       Mr Allan Goodman, chief executive officer of IIE, said in a statement: “International students enrich our campuses, foster cultural exchange, and contribute significantly to our economy.”

       Most international students across US higher education pursue science, technology, engineering or maths programmes.

       About 25 per cent studied maths and computer science, while nearly one in five opted for engineering.

       International students, who usually pay full fees for attending US colleges, made up 6 per cent of the total US higher education population and contributed more than US$50 billion (S$67.15 billion) to the US economy in 2023, according to the US Department of Commerce. BLOOMBERG