US student visas granted to Vietnamese hit decade-high

The data, covering visas issued between October 2023 and September 2024, also showed that the current number is three times higher than during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

The primary category for student visas, known as F visas, includes F-1 visas for foreign students attending high schools or higher education institutions, and F-2 visas for spouses and children of F-1 holders. Approximately 90% of all F visa recipients are F-1 visa holders.

Globally, around 479,000 F-1 visas were granted during this period, though visa denials reached 41%, the highest rate in the past decade, according to The Indian Express.

According to the 2024 Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the U.S. hosted over one million international students from 200 countries and territories in the 2023-2024 academic year, contributing approximately $50 billion to the American economy.

The most popular fields among international students in the U.S. are math and computer science, chosen by 281,000 students, technical fields with 210,000 students, and economics and management, attracting 160,000 students. Vietnamese students account for approximately 22,000 of the total.

Average tuition for international students at private universities in the U.S. stands at around $46,600 annually, while tuition at public universities averages around $28,200 per year. Overall university expenses, including tuition and living costs, have risen by roughly 40% over the past two decades, as reported by U.S. News.