NEW DELHI: For the second year in a row there has been a record increase of 25% in the number of Indian students studying in the US from 132,888 in 2014-15 to 165,918 in 2015-16, according to the 2016 Open Doors report on International Educational Exchange. The report is published annually by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the US department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.“Higher education continues to be the bedrock of our people to people ties. More students from India studied in the US than ever before – at all levels – and I am especially pleased to see the record back-to-back, year-on-year growth in student numbers,” said US Ambassador Richard R Verma, while releasing the report in New Delhi on Tuesday.According to the report, India is now the second leading place of origin accounting for every sixth international student in the US, after China. Approximately, three-fifths of Indian students are at the graduate level and three-fourths in STEM fields. Among Indian students, the biggest increases were among graduate students +19.7% and optional practical training (OPT) students +44%. The fastest growing field of study among international students in the US was maths and computer science and the growth in both engineering, math and computer science are likely attributable to high growth in students from India, who major heavily in these fields.According to the report, a large number of Indian students seek opportunities in the US because the Indian system is not able to meet the full extent of the growing demand and the mobility to other countries such as the UK is stagnant or declining. The number of Indian students in the US on OPT has jumped 44% to 42,328 making up a significant number (26%) because OPT for STEM grads has been increased to 36 months from the 12 months available to all F-1 visa students. According to figures from the US consular section, the number of student visa applications were the highest in Mumbai at 31,000 followed by Chennai at 21,500 and Delhi at 18,000.