Decline in Indian students fuels 17% drop in new US international enrolment amid visa restrictions: Report

Indian students appear to be driving a sharp decline in new international enrolment at US colleges this autumn, according to a report released on Monday. Most institutions said they saw fewer new students from India, which remains the largest source of foreign students in the United States.

Overall, new international student enrolment fell 17 per cent this autumn. Colleges and universities linked the drop to tighter student visa rules and other Trump administration policies, the report said.

Among the institutions reporting declines, 96 per cent pointed to concerns about the visa application process. Another 68 per cent cited travel restrictions, according to the nonprofit Institute of International Education, which gathered data from 825 US higher education institutions.

The Trump administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration in recent years, rolling out several measures that directly affect foreign students. Those include efforts to cap international enrolment at US universities, according to Reuters.

The State Department has also allowed consular officers to ask applicants to make their social media accounts public, aiming to flag anyone seen as hostile toward the United States. Some existing student visas have been revoked, while others seeking new visas have faced delays.

Several colleges said long wait times and a temporary pause in visa issuance earlier this year slowed down students’ ability to secure visas.

The report noted that concerns over the visa process — including delays and denials — have long been the top reason institutions cite for weakening international enrolment.

About 1.2 million international students studied in the US during the 2024–2025 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators. They contributed an estimated $55 billion to the US economy in 2024, Bureau of Economic Analysis data shows.

Most international students do not qualify for financial aid and pay full tuition, providing essential revenue for schools coping with declining domestic enrolment, rising costs and shrinking government support, Reuters reported.

According to Monday’s report, 29 per cent of institutions saw an increase in new international enrolment, 14 per cent held steady and 57 per cent reported a decrease.

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With the inputs from Reuters