2 weeks ago
Indian students in US hit 29-month low amid visa delays
Many students from India dream of studying in the United States.
But lately, fewer Indian students are going there to study.
In fact, their numbers have been falling for ten months in a row.
This is the lowest number of Indian students in the US in over two years.
A big reason is that getting a US student visa now takes a very long time.
New rules and high costs, including a possible $100,000 fee to work after graduation, also make the US less appealing.
The job market for technology workers is not as strong as it used to be.
So many Indian students are now applying to universities in the UK, Germany and France instead.
Some students are applying to several countries at once to keep their options open.
At the same time, more Indian students are still choosing the US for doctoral research.
Indian students in the US numbered 3,38,230 as of July 2026, the lowest count in 29 months, according to US Homeland Security data.
The number has fallen for 10 straight months since September 2025, a 12% drop versus a 4.4% decline in the same period a year earlier.
Master's students fell 11.3% year-on-year to 2,66,104, while doctoral enrolments are rising.
Visa appointment delays, tighter immigration policies, the tech job slowdown, a depreciating rupee and a proposed $100,000 fee for international graduates seeking OPT are cited as reasons.
The Association of International Educators and JB International project up to 1,11,000 fewer international students at US universities in Fall 2026, with the UK, Germany and France gaining applicants.
- Who
- Indian students enrolled at US universities, tracked by US Homeland Security data, with comments from experts at Prodigy Finance and Emeritus.
- What
- The Indian student population in the US fell to 3,38,230, a 29-month low, after 10 consecutive months of decline.
- Where
- United States.
- When
- As of July 2026, with the decline running since September 2025.
- Why
- Visa appointment delays, tighter immigration policies, a tech job slowdown, rupee depreciation and a proposed $100,000 fee for international graduates seeking OPT are driving the decline.
Key facts
- Indian students in US (July 2026)
- 3,38,230
- Decline streak
- 10 consecutive months since September 2025
- Decline Sept 2025–July 2026
- 12%
- Year-on-year decline (July 2026)
- 8.6%
- Master's students (July 2026)
- 2,66,104 (down 11.3% YoY)
- Proposed OPT fee for international graduates
- $100,000
- Projected fewer international students (Fall 2026)
- Up to 1,11,000
- Countries gaining Indian applicants
- UK, Germany, France
Quotes
Avnish Singhal
Head of Consumer Business (India, APAC, & Middle East), Emeritus
“We are currently speaking to over 1,000-odd young Indians aged 15 to 28 for an upcoming report — and an early finding tells us that over 40 per cent have seen their interest in studying in the US decrease in the past year, driven directly by visa policy and rising costs.”
thehindubusinessline.com
“Depreciating rupee, tightening visa regimes, and evolving post-study work policies — including the proposed $100K fee for international graduates seeking OPT, have forced Indian talent to re-examine the value proposition that once drew them out of the country.”
thehindubusinessline.com










