US colleges report declining Indian student enrollment 2025.
International students comprise roughly six percent of the U.S. higher education population, reflecting their steady but limited overall presence.
Washington: A new US State Department-funded report has revealed a worrying shift for American universities: graduate enrollment from India has fallen by 10 per cent in the 2024–25 academic year, and overall international student enrollment dropped even more sharply — by 17 per cent — in the fall of 2025.
The latest “Open Doors” report, released by the Institute of International Education, paints a complex picture. While India continues to remain the single largest source of foreign students in the United States, the trend line shows mounting concerns. More than 61 per cent of all colleges surveyed said they recorded a decline in the number of Indian students arriving for the fall 2025 term.
The findings are based on a survey of 825 US institutions, giving a broad sense of how enrollment patterns are shifting nationwide. Among the colleges that reported declines in new international students, an overwhelming 96 per cent identified visa-related issues as the primary reason. Delays, extensive security checks, interview backlogs, and rejections have all contributed to student anxiety. Travel restrictions and uncertainty around long-term immigration policies were also major factors that influenced student decisions.
At the same time, the report highlights a striking contradiction: despite the recent fall, Indian students still made up nearly half of all graduate-level foreign students in the US in 2024–25, and roughly one-third of the total international student population. Overall numbers from India even registered a 10 per cent increase during this period. Yet the growth could not offset the specific decline in graduate programs, which continues to worry universities heavily dependent on international enrollments.
Institutions say the policy environment has become increasingly unpredictable. Over the past several months, the Trump administration has tightened its scrutiny of student visas, launched multiple policy reviews, and introduced procedural requirements that universities say are creating a chilling effect.
However, critics — including university administrators, immigration attorneys, and student groups — argue that such measures are discouraging highly skilled talent from even considering the United States. The situation is further complicated by conservative lawmakers who have proposed bills to either drastically restrict the H-1B program or phase it out altogether. Some proposals would even remove the path to permanent residency for H-1B holders, a move that could reshape the American workforce landscape.
Adding to the uncertainty, the State Department has reportedly revoked more than 6,000 student visas since January, raising alarms across campuses. Universities say each revoked visa represents not only a personal setback for a student but also a lost opportunity for the institution and the broader economy.
International students currently make up about six per cent of the total US higher-education population. Yet their economic contribution is far greater than their numbers suggest. According to the US Department of Commerce, they inject nearly $55 billion into the American economy every year. Their spending — on tuition, housing, food, travel, and other essentials — supports more than 355,000 jobs across the country.
As the new academic year approaches, many universities hope the decline is temporary. But unless visa policies stabilize and the political climate becomes more predictable, administrators fear that the US could lose its long-held position as the top global destination for international students.