Nepal was 13th biggest supplier of international students back in 2007 (7,754 students). With 15.2% increase (8,936 students), Nepal was in 11th rank in 2008. 2009 saw a huge, 30 percent, increase (11,581 students) in the number of Nepali students in US but, the ranking remain the same 11th.
In the recent data for the year 2010, the total number of Nepali students in the US university has decreased to 11,233 (a decline of 3%). But the overall ranking is still 11th in the supplier of foreign students to the US.
One or both of the following the factors might be responsible in the decrease of the US bound Nepali students:
- There might be no decrease at all! Due to the political problem, excessive number of students went to US in 2009 (30% increase). Now, 2010 is seeing the balance in increase in the students. So the net increase remains around 15% when we correlate the previous data.
- Australia tightened the student enrollment so, those planning to go to Australia had to go to the US instead. Hence, the huge increase in 2009. In 2009, students going to Australia decreased from 11,000 in 2007/08 to 1,000 in 2008/09.
It is a good thing if Nepali will face less "brain drain". At the same, time we will have less number of Nepali with US degrees. (Data source)