Applications from Indian students to colleges and universities in the United States fell 15 per cent during the 2025-26 admission cycle, placing India among the countries that recorded the sharpest declines in interest in US higher education, according to a report by the Common App.
The report found that international applications to US undergraduate programmes declined despite overall application volumes rising for the upcoming 2026-27 academic year. International applications submitted through March 1 fell 10 per cent, marking the steepest decline recorded by the Common App.
Applicants from Asia declined by 11 per cent, with the drop largely driven by fewer Indian students applying to US institutions. Applications from Africa fell 17 per cent, led by a 34 per cent decline from Ghana.
The decline comes as the Trump administration tightens immigration and visa policies affecting international students. Changes including the proposed end of the traditional “duration of status” system, a four-year cap for F-1 and J-1 visa holders, limited or delayed visa appointments and country-specific restrictions could further affect international enrolment in the US.
Jamie Beaton, co-founder and CEO of college consultancy Crimson Education, told CNBC that the policy changes were unlikely to affect all US universities equally.
According to Beaton, the measures could accelerate an existing trend in which universities unable to demonstrate a strong return on investment face greater pressure on enrolment and academic programmes, while leading institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT and Duke remain comparatively resilient.
The decline in applications comes alongside a sharp fall in irregular migration from India to the US.
US Customs and Border Protection recorded 20,614 encounters involving Indian migrants nationwide through May of fiscal year 2026. That was down 69 per cent from 67,212 encounters recorded during the comparable period in fiscal year 2023, when irregular migration from India reached a peak.
An analysis of CBP data shows particularly steep declines at both US land borders. Encounters involving Indian migrants at the southwestern border with Mexico fell by nearly 99 per cent, to 417 through May of fiscal year 2026 from 30,109 during the comparable period in fiscal year 2023.
At the northern border with Canada, authorities recorded 2,250 encounters, a decline of about 91 per cent from the comparable period in fiscal year 2024.
Gilbert Guerra of the Niskanen Center attributed much of the decline in irregular migration to tougher US immigration policies and reduced expectations of obtaining asylum after arriving at the border.
Guerra said the financial cost and risks associated with such journeys can discourage Indian migrants from attempting the route when they believe the chances of a favourable outcome are low.
Despite the sharp decline, Guerra expects irregular migration from India to remain higher than that from countries such as Russia and China.
The latest application figures indicate that changing US immigration and visa policies could have consequences beyond irregular migration, potentially influencing the decisions of international students considering the US as a destination for higher education.