Vietnamese students flock back to US post-pandemic

According to the latest Open Doors report by the U.S.’s Institute of International Education, 21,900 Vietnamese students went to study at U.S. colleges and universities in the 2022-2023 school year, up 5.7% compared to the previous year and accounting for 2.1% of all international students currently studying in the U.S.

Though the figure this year has not returned to the level before the pandemic, it marks the second year in a row of Vietnamese students comprising the fifth-largest group of international students in the U.S.

Of the total figure, 65% are undergraduates, 17% are graduate students, 15% enroll in Optional Practical Training and the remainder are pursuing non-degree programs.

China and India continue to account for most international students in the U.S. this year, with over 289,500 Chinese students, dropping 0.2%, and more than 268,900 Indian students, an increase of 35%. The two are followed by South Korea and Canada.

Of more than one million international students, most pursue STEM and business administration programs, including just over 240,200 students of maths and computer science, around 202,800 students of engineering, and nearly 157,300 in business and management.

The same trend could be seen among Vietnamese students, with 47.6% of them studying STEM in the U.S., up 0.5% against last year, and 24.7% studying business and management, up 1%.