Job worries, visa delays: Why Indian enrolments in US varsities fell sharply by 45%

The enrolment of Indian students in US universities has registered a sharp fall of at least 45%, the sharpest decline among major international student groups, according to a new white paper by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which cited uncertainties around visas and post-work opportunities as the driving factor behind the drop.

The paper also noted that affordability was also a key factor affecting Indian enrolments, citing the depreciation of the Indian rupee vis a vis the US Dollar, which decreased purchasing power for Indian students.

The drop is part of a broader year-on-year (YoY) decline in total new international student enrolments as of August 2025 in the US. However, the GMAC paper noted that the downturn in Indian enrolments has been far more severe than in countries like China, South Korea, Nigeria and others which also account for a significant proportion of international students in the US.

VISA CONCERNS, POLITICAL SIGNALLING DRIVING AWAY INDIAN STUDENTS FROM THE US

According to the GMAC paper, visa-related constraints were the biggest single factor behind the fall in the enrolment figures of Indian students.

The paper cited the temporary suspension of student visa interviews in May 2025 by the Donald Trump administration, which was imposed prior to the issuance of updated guidelines on social media vetting, creating a processing backlog that disproportionately affected Indian applicants. As a result, many students who had secured admissions and even paid deposits were unable to arrive on campus in time for the academic term, noted the paper.

According to a GMAC survey of American universities, 90% of surveyed institutions identified India as the top country from where students accepted offers but failed to matriculate. Institutions attributed this “deposit but no show” trend primarily to delayed or denied visas, along with uncertainty around interview availability and approval timelines.

Political signalling has further compounded these concerns. The paper observed that international student interest in US graduate management programmes declined steadily after the Donald Trump administration took office in January 2025.

By December 2025, as many as 40% of prospective international students reported being less likely to study in the US, with Indian candidates among the most discouraged due to visa uncertainty, policy rhetoric and rising rejection rates.

UNCERTAIN POST-STUDY WORK OPPORTUNITIES, ECONOMIC PRESSURE KEY DETERRENTS

Beyond immediate processing delays, the report highlighted growing uncertainty around post-study work opportunities as a key deterrent. Indian students, who typically rely on post-graduation employment to offset the high cost of US education, have become increasingly cautious amid ambiguity surrounding the H-1B high-skilled work visa and broader immigration policy direction, the paper noted.

Further restrictions, including the potential suspension of the Optional Training Programme (OPT), which allowed STEM students on the F-1 student visa to gain vital hands-on experience by allowing students to work for 12 months in the US after graduation, a pre-requisite to transition to the H-1B visa, also played a part in driving down the interest of Indian students to study in the US.

While formal changes to work visa rules were limited, GMAC noted that the perception of a tightening immigration environment has had a chilling effect on student decision-making.

As interest in the US declines, GMAC data showed Indian students increasingly turning towards Western Europe and Asia, where governments are actively expanding international enrolment and offering more predictable visa and employment frameworks.

Applications to business schools within India itself rose 25%, reflecting a growing willingness among students to pursue high-quality domestic options.

The report concluded that unless visa processing stability, post-study work clarity and overall policy confidence are restored, the United States risks ceding its long-held position as the top destination for Indian graduate students.

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