Over 3.6 lakh Indians study in US: What draws them despite tough visa rules

India remained the largest source of international students in the US in 2024-25, with over 360,000 enrolments, even as early 2025 brought a dip in new students amid visa delays and shifting policies

India remained the leading place of origin for international students in the United States during the 2024–25 academic year, according to new data released on Monday by the US-based Institute of International Education. More than 360,000 students from India were in the country during this period, marking a 9.5 per cent rise from the previous year.

 

The Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, sponsored by the US Department of State, recorded a total of 1.17 million international students in the US in 2024–25, a 5 per cent increase on the previous cycle. China and South Korea followed India as the next largest sources of students.

 

The findings come at a time when President Donald Trump, now in his second term, has made changes to higher education and immigration rules. These shifts have prompted many international students to voice concerns about whether studying in the US remains viable.

 

According to the report, there were 363,019 Indian students in the US during 2024–25. Of these, 49 per cent were graduate students, while 39 per cent were completing their Optional Practical Training, which allows students to work in a related field after finishing their studies.

 

China, the second-largest place of origin, saw 265,919 students enrolled in the US, reflecting a 4 per cent decline.

 

The report also found that new international student numbers fell by about 7 per cent in 2024-25. New enrolment dropped across all levels except undergraduate study, which recorded a 5 per cent increase.

 

Why are Indian applicants taking more risks?

 

Dr Nirav Patel, an assistant professor at Navrachana University, told Business Standard that Indian applicants have faced a clear rise in visa refusal rates, citing US Department of State data. “Consequently, families are now dealing with significant documentation, multiple interviews, increased costs for travel and processing, and greater travel and processing costs. With the hopes of future employment opportunities compensating for the costs, students are financially taking out larger loans and withdrawing more from their savings. Some also accept offers from colleges they once considered less preferred because they seem ‘safer’ from a visa standpoint,” he said.

 

Why can total students rise while new enrolments fall?

 

Sripal Jain, co-founder, Simandhar Education, an institute that provides professional training courses like US CPA, US CMA, said the patterns visible in early 2025 are part of a normal shift in timings. “This contrast simply reflects a transition point in the cycle. The rise in total Indian students on campus is the outcome of decisions made 12-24 months earlier, when graduate demand was extremely strong and visa issuance was more predictable.

 

“The early 2025 dip in new enrolments is an indicator of caution and not collapse. Families must read it as a temporary response to visa volatility, longer interview queues, and the global tightening in postgraduate mobility. Historically, such dips stabilise once policy clarity returns.

 

“The underlying demand from India has not weakened; it has merely adjusted its pace. Undergraduate enrolments are still growing double-digit, and participation in OPT, which surged over 47 per cent, shows that students who are already in the system continue to find strong career pathways,” Jain said.

 

How are course choices changing among Indian students?

 

According to Jain, students are selecting programmes that show clearer employment pathways. “Students are gravitating even more sharply toward programmes with demonstrable employability, analytics, finance, computer science, cybersecurity, and healthcare-related management. The dip in graduate enrolments is not because interest in the US is falling, but because students are choosing very specific, outcome-linked programmes rather than enrolling broadly,” he said.

 

Dr Patel added that STEM subjects continue to draw the strongest interest. “Most students now gravitate toward STEM fields because these offer clearer work-training options and longer OPT durations. Some begin their studies at community colleges to reduce cost. Others apply simultaneously to Canada, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands to hedge against US visa uncertainty,” he said.

 

What funding strategies are families adopting?

 

Jain said families are approaching funding with greater care. Students are increasingly opting for:

 

• Public universities, which now attract over 63 per cent of Indian students

• Assistantships and on-campus employment

• Staggered education loans rather than large upfront borrowing

• Stronger financial documentation to reduce visa-related worries

 

“In essence, Indian students are not stepping back and they are stepping in more carefully, more strategically, and with a sharper eye on long-term value,” Jain said.