Taipei, Nov. 19 (CNA) Taiwan became the fifth largest source of international students in the United States during the 2023-2024 academic year, trailing only India, China, South Korea and Canada, according to a report released Tuesday.

The number of Taiwanese students in the U.S. during the 2023-2024 school year increased 6.1 percent from a year earlier to 23,157, accounting for 2.1 percent of the total, data from the 2024 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange showed.

That continued a trend of annual increases that began in 2015, pausing only from 2019 to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and made Taiwan the fifth largest sender of international students to the U.S., vaulting it above Vietnam, which ranked sixth.

India and China combined to account for more than half of the international students in the United States.

In the annual report, issued by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the nonprofit Institute of International Education, international students are defined as those enrolled at U.S. higher education institutions or engaged in optional practical training (OPT).

OPT refers to temporary employment programs for foreign students related to their area of study.

The largest portion of Taiwanese students in the U.S. (43.1 percent) in the 2023-2024 academic year were enrolled in graduate programs, with Taiwan ranking as the eighth largest foreign source of graduate students.

Twenty-four percent of all Taiwanese students studied at the undergraduate level, while more than 28 percent of Taiwanese students participated in OPT programs, an increase of 27.4 percent, making Taiwan the fourth largest place of origin for OPT students.

Meanwhile, 4.5 percent of all Taiwanese students enrolled in non-degree programs, an increase of more than 22.8 percent from the previous year, it said.

The release of the Open Doors Report is part of the annual International Education Week (IEW), a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education, to promote international educational exchange.

During the 2024 IEW from Nov. 18-22, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) has arranged events across Taiwan to promote studying in America, including seminars, a virtual education fair, and a six-video series featuring Taiwanese students studying or working in America.