Washington: The number of Indian students studying in the U.S. has witnessed a 3.5 percent decline in the 2012-13 academic year due to the sharp devaluation in the Indian rupee.

A total of 96,754 students from India were studying in the U.S. in 2012-13, down by 3.5 percent from the previous year, thus marking three consecutive years of decline, a report said.

India, which was the leading place of origin for international students in the U.S. from 2001-02 through 2008-09, however, retained the top spot after China, said the Educational Exchange Data from Open Doors 2013 released by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Students from the top three places of origin - China, India, and South Korea - now represent 49 percent of the total number of international students in the United States, with the number from China increasing, and the numbers from India and South Korea declining.

The number of Chinese students flocking to the U.S. colleges and universities in the United States has however helped the country to reach a record high of 8,19,644 international students, an increase of seven percent in the 2012-13 academic year.

Read More:

Fired And Tired: 8 Companies With Highest Job Cuts

9 Evergreen Employment-Sectors