US sees sharp dip in foreign students, India tops the list

The number of international students arriving in the US has sharply declined, even as India continues to remain the top source of foreign students in American universities, a new Open Doors study revealed on Monday.

According to report, first-time enrolments across the US colleges and universities fell 17 per cent in fall 2025, signalling what experts say could be a worrying trend for the country’s higher-education sector.

Nearly, 60 per cent institutes reported a drop in fresh international admissions, with only 30 per cent seeing an uptick.

Open Doors — a leading data resource backed by the US State Department —attributed the shifting pattern largely to the differing fortunes of academic levels. Undergraduate numbers rose by 5 per cent, but new graduate enrolments plunged 15 per cent, pulling the overall figures down.

Despite the slowdown, the US remains a major draw for Indian students. India sent 3,63,019 students to American campuses in the 2024-25 academic year — a 10 per cent jump over the previous year — topping the charts for a second consecutive year. China followed with 2,65,919 students, a 4 per cent decline.

Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan and Vietnam were among 12 countries that recorded their highest-ever outbound figures to the US, the report said.

Institutes continue to view overseas students as an essential component of campus life and economics. The survey found 81 per cent of the US colleges valued their contribution to diversity and global exposure, while 60 per cent acknowledged the significant financial benefit they bring. International students made up 6 per cent of the total US higher-education population and pumped nearly $55 billion into the American economy in 2024, supporting more than 3.5 lakh jobs.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has been pushing universities to reduce dependence on foreign enrolments and increase seats for domestic students. Visa screening has become stricter, with the State Department having temporarily halted all interviews earlier this year before resuming them with heightened checks.

While full data for the current year will be available later, indicators suggest the US may be entering a new phase of competitive global student recruitment — one that could reshape international mobility trends in the years ahead.