In 2025 the number of Indian students going to U.S. universities has really dropped a lot. It’s actually the biggest drop outside of the COVID-19 years. Data from Trade.gov say student arrivals from India has fell by about 44% in August 2025 when compared to last year same time. The overall international students going to U.S. also went down by near 19%, so it’s not just Indians.

Many reasons behind this. Visa rules are stricter now, tuition fees keep going high, safety worries and global tensions also making U.S. not so attractive anymore for Indian students. Because of this many of them now picking other countries like Canada, Australia, U.K. or European nations, where immigration rules are easier, education cost is lesser and post-study work options better.

This shift of students may push U.S. colleges to change how they reach out globally and what programs they offer if they want to stay competitive. Global education is changing and the way students move across borders is being reshape a lot, with Indian students having a big role inside this change.