The overall Indian student population in the US has fallen 8.6 per cent YoY in July 2026.
| Photo Credit:
REBA SALDANHA
The number of Indian students in the US seems to be on a sustained decline, with this population at a 29-month low amid persistent visa appointment bottlenecks and immigration policy changes.
US Homeland Security data show a count of 3,38,230 Indian students in the US as of July, a number that has been falling for 10 straight months since September 2025. This is also the lowest in 29 months.
businessline analysis shows that since September 2025, the monthly counts have been progressively declining as tighter immigration policies and an overall tech job market slowdown have reduced the shine of a US education. The decline from September 2025 to July 2026 was 12 per cent compared with just a 4.4 per cent fall in the same period in the previous year.
Further, the overall Indian student population in the US has fallen 8.6 per cent YoY in July 2026. The decline is particularly higher among Master’s students, with an 11.3 per cent YoY fall to 2,66,104, as this cohort makes up the bulk of Indian students in the US. Bachelor’s students are also declining, but more modestly. Doctoral student count is rising, suggesting US appeal for research students.
Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, a lender to international students, says the US was always the first choice for many students, especially in STEM, but Visa delays have changed the locations where they are heading this year. In case of this year’s graduating batch, many are still waiting on US visa decisions, and the process has been slower than expected, she adds.
Students are weighing visa timelines and approval rates, and applying strategically across multiple countries instead of putting everything on one destination, Kapoor says.
“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,” Avnish Singhal – Head of Consumer Business (India, APAC, & Middle East), Emeritus, said.
Strategic market
He said that global universities now recognise India as a strategic education market and are expanding here by setting up their campuses.
“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. This generation is far more analytical. The cost versus ROI calculation on overseas education is pushing them toward alternate routes that offer greater career predictability,” Singhal adds.
Experts note that the UK, Germany, and France have become winners of this shift with more students applying to these countries this year.
The decline is in line with industry estimates of a broader slowdown in international student enrolment in the US. The Association of International Educators and JB International project up to 1,11,000 fewer international students at US universities in Fall 2026.
Published on August 14, 2026
