US universities attract fewer students

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that while the total number of students studying in foreign universities increased from 2.6 million in 2005 to 3.3 million in 2008, the share of US went down from 26 percent in 2000 to 18.7 percent in 2010.

Besides the increasing anti-immigrant sentiment, the backlash against loss of American jobs and tightening of visa norms, the high cost of education in the US and high living cost have also contributed to these falling numbers.

The other countries that have also seen some decline include Britain, Germany and France. Among the countries that have become popular during the last few years, the prominent ones are Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

The increasing popularity of these destinations is being attributed to relaxation in immigration policies to attract more international students. However, the US is still a preferred destination when it comes to advanced studies in science and technology.

It also continues to be popular among students coming from Japan, South Korea and India, where about 50-60% students going abroad still opt for US universities.