Study Abroad: Mere 38% Indian students in US are women; gender gap worse only in Bangladeshi, Saudi groups

When it comes to studying in the United States, male Indian students outnumber female students practically 2:1, shows data from the annual reports of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS), under the US Department of Homeland Security. The report with data from the previous year was published in June, 2025.

In fact, of the 10 nationalities accounting for the most international students in the US, the gender ratio among Indians was the second-worst in four of the last five years and at the bottom in 2023. Female representation among Indian students in the US has been under 40% all through – rising from 35% to 38% over five years – and closer to Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh’s records, than China or Brazil’s by a very wide margin. These are among the top 10 countries to send students to the US.

India surpassed China in sending students to the US in 2023 and in 2024, had 4,22,335 F1 and M1 visa holders recorded on SEVIS in 2024. F1 visas are for degree programmes and M1 visas, for vocational studies. While the count of Chinese students has fallen, that of Indians has grown sharply, especially after the covid pandemic period. It saw a 27.1% increase in 2023 and 11.8% in 2024. 47.5% of all active foreign student records in the US are of Indians and the Chinese. This is also why President Donald Trump’s crackdown on international students across US university campuses seems to impact the Indian and Chinese communities more than any other. It has reportedly cancelled over 4,700 F1 visas in a five-month period.

That said, according to the Bureau of Immigration data, 1.33 lakh fewer Indians left to study abroad last year.

The SEVIS by the Numbers reports also contain data on what courses international students pursue and where they complete their “optional practical training”.

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Behind Nepal, Vietnam, Nigeria

Last year, Saudi Arabia slipped out of the list of the top 10 senders of international students to the US and Bangladesh entered.

Between the female representation among Indian students and that among Bangladeshis, there was only a four percentage point difference. The Indians were behind the Nepalis by the exact same distance.

The total number of students along with the percentages of females and males are given below.

SEVIS By The Numbers 2025: Female and male students

While within India, the Gender Parity Index in higher education enrolment was 1.01 according to the last All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-22, implying a “disparity in favour of females”. But it appears that in the case of study-abroad opportunities in the US, Indian men get the lion’s share.

In 2023, the year which saw a 27% increase in the count of Indian students in the US, the country’s record was the worst of the top 10 countries of origin. China, which until that year had the most students on M1 and F1 visas, had 3,29,541 students in the US in 2024; 48% of them were female.

The table below shows the representation of female students among Indians and the lowest among the top 10 nationalities over five years.

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Study in US: Top countries of origin, bottom in share of women

PhD, MS courses in USA: What students pursue

More international students pursue US master’s degrees than bachelor’s. Together, the two groups account for 79% of higher education enrollments among foreign students.

The breakup between the three levels was as follows:

• PhD in USA: 2,14,824
• US Master’s: 6,67,622
• Bachelor’s: 4,64,843

The number of students pursuing PhD in USA rose slightly.

Indians grab most STEM OPT extensions

Nearly half – 48% – of all STEM OPT extensions were granted to Indians.

Post-study work opportunities include joining optional practical training (OPT) and training for graduates of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programmes. Graduates working under the STEM OPT programme can apply for 24-month US visa extensions.

China was a distant second, 20.4%. As many as 1,65,524 Indian and Chinese nationals were granted STEM OPT extensions.

A total of 1,94,554 foreign students were authorised to work under the OPT programme; the country-wise break-up is not given; 1,30,586 students were approved for curricular practical training, or CPT.

The OPT is not a part of the academic programme but related to it; the CPT has to be integral to the curriculum and must be completed before graduation.