Malaysian student enrolment in US up 5.3%

KUALA LUMPUR: The United States (US) has seen a 5.3 percent increase in the number of Malaysian students enrolled at its colleges and universities during the 2016/2017 academic year. The 2017 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange said the number of Malaysian students has risen to 8,247 this year.

Its Ambassador to Malaysia, Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir said this solid growth confirms that the US remains as the destination of choice for higher education.

“The United States offers international students a welcoming and stimulating multicultural environment, both in the classroom and in the broader community.

"Other advantages include numerous research opportunities and the responsiveness, innovation and flexibility of an educational system that allows for crossdisciplinary academic work and encourages independent thinking and analysis,” she said in a statement yesterday.

Malaysia is the 21st leading country of origin that has students pursuing tertiary education in the US.

Of the Malaysian students in the US, 67.7 percent enrolled at undergraduate level, 15.4 percent at graduate level, 2.7 percent in non-degree programmes, while 14.3 percent in optional practical training.

"For the past nine years, Malaysian students enrollment in the US has increased steadily with enrolment numbers growing rapidly in the past three years,” said the statement.