Visa curbs, scrutiny under Trump push Indian student enrolment in US down 75%: Report

According to the report, the August-October fall intake, which contributes 70 percent of all the students, was the hardest hit last year.

• Indian student enrollment in US colleges dropped 75% due to Trump policies.
• Visa issues forced many Indian students to cancel US study plans.
• US revoked 8,000 student visas by Dec 2025, forcing students to exit.

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Indian students have turned wary of President Donald Trump’s second term as enrollment in US colleges saw a massive fall of 75 percent, a report by the Times of India said on January 20.

Trump’s tirade against immigration, growing visa rejections and imposition of various restrictions have fueled hesitancy among aspirants seeking admission to America’s top 40 institutes, TOI said.

According to the report, the August-October fall intake, which contributes 70 percent of all the students, was the hardest hit last year.

Students were able to avail very few visa interview slots, leading to cancellation of their US plans, the paper said, adding that only those who had completed their applications by February or March were able to move ahead.

Arvind Manduva, a Hyderabad-based consultant, told TOI that this was the sharpest drop seen in decades. Moreover, several students had postponed their admission plans to the January-March session, waiting for the storm to pass. However, the students were left disappointed after the Trump administration increased its visa scrutiny and interview slots remained scarce even after months of wait.

In addition, Trump’s actions added to the anxiety for students already residing in the US as the administration began to review social media accounts, the paper said. The report, quoting US government data, showed that around 8,000 student visas were cancelled by December 2025 and were later asked to leave within weeks.

Earlier this month, Bloomberg had reported that the enrollment of foreign students at US universities have declined for the first time in three year following Trump’s clampdown on immigration and his attack on the elite colleges.

The number of international students across the country dropped by close to 5,000, even as the overall number of students grew by 1%, according to data released Thursday by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The decline was driven by graduate student programs, where enrollment fell by 6% — or nearly 10,000 students — after shooting up more than 50% between 2020 and 2024.

It’s the latest blow to US colleges and universities as President Donald Trump pushes to remake higher education. The wealthiest institutions are facing a higher endowment tax under his tax-and-spending law from last year. And top schools have also been contending with federal funding freezes.