Nepali Student Numbers in U.S. Edge Up in October, Remain Below March Peak
Nepali passport
NEW YORK — The number of active Nepali student records in the United States increased slightly in October, reaching 33,992, according to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).
The October total was 44 higher than September’s 33,948, an increase of about 0.1%. The figures indicate that the number of Nepali students has largely stabilized following a prolonged decline earlier in 2026.
Despite the modest increase, the October total remained below the March peak of 34,853. Compared with March, the number of active records was down by 861, or about 2.5%.
The October figure, however, was 2,112 higher than the August total of 31,880, representing an increase of approximately 6.6% over two months.
Nepali Student Numbers Stabilize After Months of Decline
SEVIS, or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is the federal system used to maintain information on international students and exchange visitors in the F and M visa categories. Its monthly data provide a snapshot of active student records by country of citizenship.
The number of active Nepali student records had declined steadily from March through August before rebounding in September.
The monthly figures show 34,853 active records in March, 34,680 in April, 34,366 in May, 33,758 in June, 32,852 in July and 31,880 in August.
The number then increased to 33,948 in September and edged up further to 33,992 in October.
From March to August, the Nepali student population recorded in SEVIS fell by 2,973, or about 8.5%. The subsequent increases in September and October recovered much of that decline, although the October total remained below the March level.
The latest figures suggest that the sharp summer contraction has eased, but they do not establish whether the increase reflects new international students, returning students or changes in institutional reporting.
Male Students Account for 55% of Nepali Records
Of the 33,992 active Nepali student records in October, 18,845 were male and 15,147 were female.
Male students accounted for approximately 55.4% of the total, while female students represented 44.6%. The difference between the two groups was 3,698 records.
The figures also show that Nepali students were enrolled across a range of educational programs.
Bachelor’s degree programs accounted for the largest share, with 12,659 active records, followed by master’s programs with 9,302 and associate degree programs with 6,851.
Doctoral programs accounted for 4,736 records. Another 231 students were enrolled in language-training programs, while 45 were in flight schools.
The remaining records included 156 classified as other educational programs, 11 in secondary education and one in an other vocational school category. No active records were reported in the high school or primary education categories.
Bachelor’s and master’s programs together accounted for 21,961 records, or approximately 64.6% of all active Nepali student records.
Texas Has the Largest Nepali Student Population
Texas had the largest number of active Nepali student records in October, with 8,403, accounting for approximately 24.7% of the national total.
New York ranked second with 2,286, closely followed by Ohio with 2,313. New Jersey had 1,570, while Illinois had 1,427.
Other states with substantial Nepali student populations included Arizona with 1,173, Louisiana with 1,085, Virginia with 994, Minnesota with 880, and Georgia with 815.
Missouri had 773 active records, Michigan 764, Colorado 365, and Pennsylvania 652.
The figures show that Nepali students are distributed across a broad range of states, with Texas accounting for nearly one-quarter of all active records.