The number of Vietnamese students in the U.S. has increased consistently for 17 straight years, according to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) annual “Open Doors” Report.  

The report for the 2017-2018 academic year (AY) shows that Viet Nam remains the sixth leading country of origin for all international students in the U.S., with 24,325 students, up 1,887 students since last AY 2016-17, an 8.4% increase. 

Of the 24,325 Vietnamese students in the U.S., 69.6% were undergraduates, 15.2% were graduate level students, 8.6% enrolled in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and the remaining 6.6% 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 AY2017-18.  Math and Computer Science were the fastest growing fields of study with an increase of 11.3% from AY 2016-17, followed by Legal Studies and Law Enforcement with an increase of 10.4% from AY 2016-17.  

The data also revealed that Viet Nam is becoming a more popular destination for American students.  

In 2016-2017 AY, Viet Nam welcomed 1,147 students from the U.S., an increase of 13.3%.  

Open Doors report is released annually during the International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education.

VGP