The number of Nigerian university students studying in America has risen to 11,710.
This figure was made public on the official website of the United States embassy in Nigeria.
Nigeria retained its top ranking as the number one source of African students studying in the United States.
According to the International Educational Exchange data released by the Institute of International Education (IIE), there are 11, 710 Nigerian students currently pursuing their educational goals in the United States, an increase of 9.7 per cent from the 2016 figure.
Kenya ranked second among African countries with a total of 3,189 students in the U.S. while Ghana emerged third with 3,111 students.
In the report, the number of African students in the United States rose to 37,735, an increase of 6.7 per cent compared to the 2015/2016 figure.
According to the IIE data, 56 per cent of the students are pursuing undergraduate degrees and 28.7 per cent are involved in graduate studies.
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The report also showed that the overall number of international students in the United States increased by three per cent compared to the previous year.
This data released by IIE now marks the eleventh consecutive year of the continued expansion of the total number of international students in U.S. higher education.
During the 2016/2017 academic session, U.S. colleges and universities hosted a record high of 1.08 million international students.
Nigeria now accounts for 31 per cent of Africa’s students in the United States and ranks 12th in the world, having improved its standing from 14th, a year ago.
Nigerians are enrolled in more than 1,000 institutions in 51 U.S. states and territories.
The data also shows that 18 percent of Nigeria’s students in the U.S. are studying in the state of Texas.
Other states with a large number of Nigerian students include New York, Florida, Massachusetts and Maryland, the record showed.
According to the US embassy in Nigeria, this year alone, Nigerian students using EducationUSA services recorded $9 million in scholarships and financial aid awarded to newly admitted students.
EducationUSA is a network of over 425 international students advising centres in more than 175 countries.
The centres at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja and the Consulate General in Lagos annually advise more than 60,000 prospective students at outreach presentations, weekly orientations, and college fairs.
