Indians are at the forefront of educated immigrants shaping the American workforce, according to a recent analysis by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI). Nearly 48% of immigrants arriving in the US between 2018 and 2022 held a college degree.
India stands out, contributing around 2 million degree holders, or 14% of the total educated immigrant population in the US. China follows with 1.1 million educated immigrants, representing 7.9% of the total.
MPI reports that 35% of all immigrant adults in the US had a bachelor's degree or higher by 2022, closely aligning with the 36% of US-born adults. However, immigrants are more likely to hold advanced degrees, with 15% of immigrant graduates possessing professional or doctoral degrees compared to 11% of US-born graduates.
Educated immigrants largely work in skilled occupations, such as management, computer science, healthcare, business, and education. Notably, immigrants make up 44% of computer hardware engineers and 29% of physicians in the US.
California leads in hosting educated immigrants, with 3.1 million college-educated individuals. Florida, Texas, and New York also house significant numbers, with these four states accounting for 51% of the total educated immigrant population.
Despite the growing pool of educated talent, 'brain waste' remains a challenge, with 2.1 million educated immigrants in the US either unemployed or working in low-skilled jobs due to difficulties in recognizing foreign qualifications.
India continues to lead, contributing 14% of the total educated immigrant population, as more highly skilled individuals from countries like Venezuela, Japan, and Ukraine also migrate to the US.