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Philadelphia: A group of Indian Americans at the Philadelphia airport to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Friday, Sept. 21, 2024
Indians are leading the pool of educated immigrants in the US. A recent analysis by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a US-based think tank, sheds light on how educated immigrants, particularly Indians, are shaping the American workforce. According to the study, nearly 48% of immigrants arriving between 2018 and 2022 held a college degree.
“The immigrant population overall slightly outperforms on educational attainment, representing 17% of all college-educated adults in the United States,” said Jeanne Batalova, a senior policy analyst at MPI.
India stands out as a leader in the global pool of educated immigrants, contributing around 2 million degree holders, or 14% of the total educated immigrant population in the US. Following India, China (including Hong Kong) accounted for 1.1 million educated immigrants, making up 7.9% of the total.
The Philippines and Mexico came next, with 7% and 6%, respectively, as per data sourced from the US Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey.
Pathways for educated immigrants
College-educated immigrants arrive in the US through various channels. Some enter on temporary visas for high-skilled workers, while others come as family members of US residents or as humanitarian migrants. Many also pursue education after arriving.
By 2022, around 35% of all immigrant adults in the US (14.1 million people) had a bachelor’s degree or higher. This figure closely mirrors the 36% of US-born adults (67.8 million) who hold college degrees.
Highly skilled immigrants are often more likely to have advanced degrees than their US-born peers. “In 2022, 15% of immigrant college graduates held professional or doctoral degrees, compared to 11% of their US-born counterparts,” the report noted. The two groups were similarly likely to hold a master’s degree, with 30% of foreign-born graduates and 28% of US-born graduates having achieved this level of education.
Where do immigrant graduates work?
A large portion of college-educated immigrants work in skilled occupations. The top five fields for these immigrants include:
Management (16%)
Computer and mathematical occupations (13%)
Health practitioners and technicians (11%)
Business and financial operations (10%)
Education and related occupations (9%)
This presence is especially noticeable in fields like computer hardware engineering, where 44% of the workforce are immigrants, and computer and information research sciences, where they represent 34% of employees. Additionally, 29% of physicians in the US are immigrants.
Geographic distribution of educated immigrants
California, known for its tech industry and universities, has the largest number of college-educated immigrants, with 3.1 million, or 22% of the total educated immigrant population. Florida, Texas, and New York each host about 1.4 million college-educated immigrants, with these four states accounting for 51% of the total.
Other states with large numbers of educated immigrants include New Jersey (6%), Illinois (4%), and Virginia, Washington, Massachusetts, and Maryland, each with around 3%. These states combined represent another 22% of the total educated immigrant population, according to the MPI report.
Immigrants’ English proficiency and advanced degrees
Many educated immigrants are proficient in English, with 74% reporting that they speak only English or speak English “very well.” This contrasts with the 41% proficiency rate among immigrants without a four-year college degree.
In terms of education, 15% of immigrant college graduates held professional or doctoral degrees, compared to 11% of their US-born peers. Both groups were about equally likely to hold a master’s degree, with 30% of foreign-born and 28% of US-born graduates earning one.
A growing pool of talent
Since 1990, the number of college-educated immigrants in the US has grown rapidly. Between 1990 and 2000, this population increased by 89%. Growth continued, with a 55% rise between 2000 and 2010 and a further 56% increase from 2010 to 2022.
In comparison, the native-born college-educated population grew at a slower pace: 32% from 1990 to 2000, 26% from 2000 to 2010, and 40% from 2010 to 2022. As a result, the share of college-educated immigrants has risen, from 10% of all US college-educated adults in 1990 to 17% in 2022.
Brain waste: an underused resource?
Despite their skills, not all college-educated immigrants are employed in roles matching their qualifications, the report indicated. In 2022, around 2.1 million of these immigrants (roughly 20%) were either unemployed or working in low-skilled jobs, such as dishwashing or taxi driving. This situation, referred to as ‘brain waste,’ also affects around 7.8 million US-born college graduates, or 16% of that group.
The hurdles faced by immigrants often include difficulties in getting their foreign credentials recognised in the US. Without proper validation of their qualifications, many highly educated individuals find themselves unable to secure jobs matching their expertise.
India contributes 14% of the total educated immigrant population in the US. Meanwhile, countries like Venezuela, Japan, and Ukraine have seen increasing numbers of their educated citizens migrate to the US in recent years.
First Published: Sep 24 2024 | 8:00 AM IST
