Indian enrolment in US universities falls 45% on visa delays, high expenses

A sharp 45 per cent fall in Indian student enrolments at US universities in August 2025, coupled with a 25 per cent rise in international applications to Indian graduate management programmes, signals a significant shift in global business education trends, according to the Graduate Management Admission Council’s (GMAC) latest white paper.

The findings, based on GMAC’s 2025 Application Trends Survey, according to the Times of India, suggest that North America’s long-dominant position as a study destination is weakening as Asia and continental Europe gain ground. Visa policies, currency fluctuations and affordability concerns are reshaping student choices.

International applications increased across Europe (excluding the UK) and Asia in 2025, while declining in Canada, the UK and the US. In North America, falling international demand outweighed growth in domestic applications.

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A pulse survey of 361 business schools found that 54 per cent of programmes in the Asia-Pacific region reported higher international enrolment in fall 2025 compared with the previous year. In contrast, two-thirds of programmes in the Americas reported declines.

Visa uncertainty has also disrupted enrolment outcomes. Nearly 90 per cent of programmes in the Americas cited India among the top countries where students paid deposits but failed to matriculate, largely due to visa delays, denials or multiple deposits.

GMAC’s Prospective Students Survey shows that the share of non-US candidates preferring to study in the United States dropped to 42 per cent in 2025 from 57 per cent in 2019. Preference for Western Europe remained steady at 63 per cent, while interest in Asia and Eastern Europe continued to rise. Applications from Central and South Asia to programmes within their home region, as well as East and Southeast Asia, increased steadily. Preference for Western Europe also rose by six percentage points year-on-year.

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India occupies a dual role in global mobility. While more than two in five Indian business schools still cite the US as their top source of international students, the 25 per cent increase in overseas applications to Indian programmes suggests the country is also emerging as a destination in its own right.

Business schools in Canada, the US and the UK most frequently attributed falling applications to changes in visa policy and geopolitical uncertainty. Canada’s 2024 cap on international study permits led to significant declines in applications and approvals.

In the US, new international enrolments across higher education fell 19 per cent, amid visa interview suspensions and immigration policy proposals. In the UK, restrictions on dependants and a shorter post-study work period contributed to a 12 per cent drop in processed student visas in 2024. Australia’s National Planning Level similarly resulted in a 16% fall in enrolments in the first half of 2025.

GMAC concludes that financial considerations now outweigh institutional reputation in student decision-making. The Indian rupee’s slide to record lows against major currencies in September 2025 reduced purchasing power, prompting prospective students to prioritise affordability. Looking ahead to 2026, the report says global management talent flows will depend less on rankings and more on visa clarity, post-study work rights and overall cost.