Indian students fall, Chinese rise: How Trump's crackdown shaped Harvard's new admissions

Despite a crackdown by the Trump administration, Harvard University enrolled a record number of foreign students in the current academic year. While the number of Chinese students surged, the share of Indian students at the varsity declined.

These figures come in the wake of the US administration targeting Harvard University to reshape higher education. It has repeatedly attempted to limit foreign enrollment and funding at the Ivy League school.

Let’s take a closer look.

Foreign students rise in Harvard

Harvard University witnessed a slight rise in the share of foreign students in the fall of 2025. A surge of 28 per cent, or 6,749 students, was recorded at the university, Bloomberg reported, citing data published Friday. This is the highest since at least 2002, according to Harvard data.

The gain reflects a spike of about 50 students, a less than one per cent increase.

The rise at Harvard comes even as foreign enrollment at US universities overall dropped by one per cent in the comparable period, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, which is sponsored by the US State Department.

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Foreign enrollment at Harvard’s undergraduate school declined by 2.6 per cent year-over-year. However, international admissions increased for the prestigious varsity’s graduate programmes.

This is in contrast with the wider trend, as the number of international graduate students at US universities fell 12 per cent year-over-year this fall, as per the Institute of International Education. Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health reported a rise of eight per cent, the highest.

Indian students’ enrollment fall at Harvard

The number of Indian students at Harvard declined by about 31 per cent from the previous academic year. This comes even as overall foreign enrollment climbed despite pressure from the Trump administration.

In fall 2025, Harvard enrolled 545 Indian students across its schools. This is less than 788 students and scholars from India who took admission across Harvard’s schools in the 2024–25 academic year.

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Across the US, Indians remain the largest international student group.

Chinese students’ admission fall

Enrollment at Harvard among Chinese students grew at a rate of 4.5 per cent in the autumn from a year earlier. As per data released by the varsity, the number of students from mainland China rose from 1,390 in autumn 2024 to 1,452 in autumn 2025.

Chinese students comprise the largest international group at Harvard. South Korean enrollment jumped by 8.7 per cent. However, students from the UK and Canada, other major sources of foreign graduates, were either flat or fell slightly.

Hong Kong student enrollment witnessed an uptick from 68 to 73, while enrollment from Macau dropped, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

Why rise in foreign students at Harvard matter

The increase in Harvard’s international student population is significant as the varsity has been facing scrutiny under the Trump administration.

The US government has tried to curb student visas and funding for the Ivy League school. US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem had cited Harvard’s engagement with China as a reason for the crackdown.

In May 2025, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively revoke” visas for Chinese nationals, especially those linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or sensitive research fields.

“We will also revise visa criteria to enhance scrutiny of all future visa applications from the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong,” he said at the time.

The Trump administration’s crackdown on Harvard began with a focus in alleged antisemitism at the campus but later expanded into targeting the varsity’s diversity programmes and perceived political bias.

Last year, billions in research funding for Harvard were frozen by the White House. It was also blocked from enrolling foreign students, as the Trump administration called for changes in governance, hiring and admissions.

Federal courts ruled in favour of Harvard in various lawsuits over the funding cuts and visa blockade. However, the administration is appealing.

David Weeks, co-founder and chief operating officer of Sunrise International, a firm that advises overseas universities on recruiting Chinese students, told SCMP that the rise was a “meaningful signal for Harvard and to a slightly lesser extent for US higher education”.

Elite US brands continue to have clout, especially in China, Weeks said. “Many will apply to third-country options as hedges, but if they land their US ‘reach’ school, they often still take it because the perceived long-term credential value is hard to match.”

While Trump has criticised Harvard, he has expressed support for Chinese and other international students. He said last August that 600,000 Chinese students will be allowed to study in America.

With inputs from agencies