The number of student visa applications for the U.S. jumped an astonishing 60 percent to 90,000 this year, but getting the right paperwork for a U.S. student visa is an intricate process. The U.S Embassy and its consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai finally handed out 4,000 student visas after sifting through the mountain of applications.

According to U.S. colleges, the profile of Indian students has changed over the years. It used to be good to excellent in the 1980s, say colleges, but is now often outstanding; a steady stream of applicants has grown into a flood in the past decade. There are 103,000 Indian students in the US, and the numbers are growing apace. Indians make up the second largest group of foreign students in the U.S. after China.

"Indian students are a great asset to U.S. universities and colleges. Both countries benefit greatly when our students study and learn together,” Ambassador Richard Verma said at an event at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi to commemorate Student Visa Day.

A report mining Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS) data released noted that students from India comprise over 26 percent of the STEM student population in this Valhalla of education.

"Student visa applications across India increased 60 percent. Consular officers approve the vast majority of student visa applications; 78 percent of Indian students opt to study in the STEM or Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics fields," the U.S. Embassy added in a statement.

Not surprisingly, engineering topped Indian students’ preferences, followed by computer science.

"Last year Indian students in the United States contributed $3.3 billion to the U.S. economy," noted the U.S Embassy.

Most international students – about 64 percent – pay for their education in America with personal or family funds. U.S. universities are actively looking to other countries for students who pay the full sticker price to attend. On an average, foreign and out of state students wind up paying an extra $23,000 a year and help U.S. colleges plug the budget gaps caused by reductions in state funding.

Tags: Visa, Indian Students, Student Visa, STEM, Student Visa Application