15% decline in Indian students seeking undergraduate admission in US: Report
Amid tightening US immigration policies, the number of Indian students seeking admission to American colleges declined 15% in the 2025-26 cycle compared with the previous year, according to a new report.
The report, from a non-profit organisation representing more than 1,100 institutions, was released by Common App. It shows that while overall undergraduate application volume for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year rose, the number of international applicants through March 1 fell 10% — the steepest such decline on record. Applicants from India, the top source of international students in the US, dropped 15%.
India remains the largest source of international students in the country, with more than 3.63 lakh enrolled across various courses in 2024-25. International students contributed $41.77 billion to the US economy in Fall 2025-26, a figure projected to fall to $38.37 billion in 2026-27, the report said.
A separate report from NAFSA: Association of International Educators and research firm JB International found that stricter visa rules and policy uncertainty are expected to result in up to 1.1 lakh fewer international student enrolments at US colleges and universities in Fall 2026. That report estimated international enrolments at 11.69 lakh in Fall 2025-26, falling to 10.57 lakh this year.
In July, the US government announced new rules eliminating the traditional "duration of status" provision for student and visitor visas, capping stays at four years — the typical length of an academic course. Washington is also considering a $100,000 fee on foreign students seeking to use the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programme to work in the US after graduation.
OPT allows foreign nationals on student visas to work in the US for 12 months, or in some cases 24, and also enables a transition to an H-1B visa sponsored by an employer. The H-1B is a non-immigrant visa letting US companies employ foreign workers in speciality occupations requiring technical or theoretical expertise; technology firms rely on it to hire tens of thousands of employees annually from countries including India and China
