There were 10 per cent fewer Bulgarian students at United States universities in 2008 than in 2007, although overall the number of foreign students in the States has increased.

This is according to a report by the institute for international education Open Doors 2009, quoted by Deutsche Welle on November 17 2009.

Currently, there are 1511 Bulgarians studying for bachelor's degrees and 1017 studying for masters’ degrees in the US, according to the report.

There has been a similar downward trend in students from Cyprus, Malta, Latvia, Lithuania, Lichtenstein and Romania.

However, Kosovo, which unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, marked a sharp increase, by close to 50 per cent, while Malta, Luxembourg, Vatican, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany also accounted for a sharp rise, in places up to 70 per cent.

Overall, the statistics for 2008 indicate that foreign students in the US have risen by eight per cent, most of them from India and China, followed by South Korea, Canada and Japan.

Asia accounts for most of the foreign students, about 415 000, nine per cent higher than in 2007. The total number of European students is 87 648, or a four per cent increase. Most students are said to be pursuing business management and engineering degrees, according to the report.

The state of California leads the table with the most international students – 93 124, followed by New York with 74 934 and Texas with 58 188. University education in the US is considered as one of the economies "major exports" responsible for more than a $17 billion contribution the US economy, the report says.

In 2008, UK universities were among the most desired destinations for young Bulgarians, according to consultant companies providing educational advice and services. They suggest that the reason is the relatively low tuition fees for bachelor's degrees, about 3000 pounds sterling (3800 euro).

The US and Germany also admit a fair amount of Bulgarian students, but British schools allot various scholarships and social stipends, for which most Bulgarians qualify. The requirements for such stipends are an annual income of not more than 17 000 pounds.