Indian students pursuing Masters, PhD in US prefer Physical Sciences over Engineering: Report

The data only includes GRE test takers who disclosed their intended graduate major at the time of the exam.

Physical Sciences courses are now preferred over Engineering by Indian students looking to pursue their masters and doctoral degrees in the United States, according to a report that cited Educational Testing Services (ETS), the organisation that administers the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

The number of Indian students taking the GRE exam for engineering is declining, The Indian Express report said adding physical sciences, such as physics, chemistry, and earth sciences, are now the most sought-after subjects.

According to the media report, the data only includes test takers who disclosed their intended graduate major at the time of the exam.

As per the report quoting data from the ETS, the percentage of students interested in engineering has decreased from 34 percent to 17 percent in the last decade, while those interested in physical sciences has increased from 27 percent to 37 percent.

Open Doors, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the non-profit Institute of International Education, in its latest report also showed that the percentage of Indians pursuing engineering in the US declined from 38.8% in 2009–10 to 29.6% in 2021–22.

The GRE Test, conducted by the ETS, is a common exam required by most top universities in the United States for admission to all degrees, Masters, and PhD programmes. GRE scores are also accepted by universities in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland.