A total of 1,444 Rwandan students studied in the United States during the just concluded 2019-2020 academic year according to statistics released by the U.S government on Tuesday, November 17.

The figure indicates an 11.8 percent increase compared to the previous academic year.

According to the report, Rwanda trails only five countries in the Sub-Saharan region in terms of sending more students to the United States.

Jeremy Jewett, Deputy Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Embassy commented on the development citing that "We are proud to welcome a record number of Rwandan students to the United States.”

"These talented students are making a positive impact on colleges and universities all around the United States. We can’t wait to see the impact they will have on Rwanda’s growth and development when they return with world-class degrees,” he added in a statement.

The new data comes from the 2020 Open Doors report on international educational exchange, an annual report funded by the U.S. State Department and released every year during International Education Week.

However, the recent report provides a baseline on the state of international educational exchange before the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United States is home to more than 4,500 accredited higher education institutions, including community colleges and public and private colleges and universities.

"This vast range of choices means there are programs available to meet everyone’s needs,” said Richard Kaburente, the embassy’s EducationUSA student adviser.

The EducationUSA student advising program offers free guidance and assistance to students interested in learning about or applying to U.S. colleges and universities.