Number of Ghanaian students in US hits 2,900

The number of Ghanaian students studying in the US for the 2010-2011 academic year has reached 2,900, according to data provided by the US Embassy in Accra citing Education USA as its source.

The number declined 1.7% as compared to the 2009-2010 academic year which was 2,951.

According to the data, of the total number in the 2010-2011 academic year, 1, 209 Ghanaians representing 41.7% with a change of -3.8% are pursuing Undergraduate studies, 45.4% representing 1,316 students with a percentage change of 0.8 are studying Graduate programmes while Ghanaians pursuing Non-Degree programmes are 49 representing 1.7% with a -10.9%.

326 Ghanaians representing 11.2% are also undertaking Optional Practical Training with a percentage of -2.4%.

Giving the Undergraduate student breakdown, the data indicated that 80.5% of Ghanaian students are pursuing courses in 4-year universities and 19.5% are in two-year Community Colleges.

The data shows that 48 Ghanaians are studying in the Ohio University, 34 in Harvard University, MA, 26 in University of Florida while North Carolina A&T State University and the Columbia University, NY have 24 and 22 Ghanaians respectively.

Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland are the top five states where Ghanaians are studying. Ohio has 197 students; New York has 184 students; Massachusetts has 171, Pennsylvania (159) and Maryland (110).

According to the data 2,132 US citizens studied in Ghana in the 2009-2010 academic year, 5% jump from 2,030 in 2008-2009 academic year.

Ghanaians have been studying abroad for over 300 years, the data noted.

By Ekow Quandzie