Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs published a report on November 12, 2007 stating that inflow of Nepali students in US has increased by 25% as compared to the previous year. With this increase, Nepal has become the 13th major students’ supplier to the US. The red line in the following graph shows the Number of students enrolled in universities and purple line gives the trend of increase in percentage share of foreign students by Nepali students. Year is given in Nepali calendar Bikram Sambat(BS) and the current year is 2064.

Nepali students in US accounts to 1.4% of total international students studying in US education institutes. In 1994/95 it was only 0.3% and it is seen that the number of students and the percentage share is steadily increasing.

Majority of Nepali students are enrolled in undergraduate level. It is a grim fact that undergraduate students don’t usually get scholarships or funding and tend to have a very difficult time paying their tuition fee and earn the living.

The trend shows that Nepali students in US are increasing exponentially. Thanks to political instability and mushrooming “Study Abroad” consultancy services the increase trend is higher in recent years.

Now the some questions arise:

• How many of these students return back to Nepal?

• Is it a brain drain?

Comments will be appreciated.