India Remains Largest Source of US Intl Students Amid 2024-25 Slump
India Remains Largest Source of US Intl Students Amid 2024-25 Slump
India remains the top source of U.S. international students for 2024–25, even as total enrollments dip amid visa uncertainties.
India remains the top source of international students in the United States for the 2024–25 academic year, with 363,019 Indian students studying in the U.S., comprising 30.8% of the total 1,117,766 international students.
China remains the second-largest source, with 265,919 students. The latest Open Doors data also show a sharp decline in overall new international student enrollments in fall 2025, down about 17% from the previous year, after a 7% drop in fall 2024.
Undergraduate enrollment from India rose 11.3% to 40,135, while OPT participation grew to 143,740, up from 97,556. This group now accounts for more than a third of all Indian students in the U.S.
Graduate enrollments declined 9.5% to 177,892, and non-degree enrollments fell 12.2% to 1,252. The data point to ongoing visa uncertainty in the U.S. and a shift toward work-based pathways alongside studying.
Overall, India’s leadership in the U.S. international student landscape persists even as the landscape shifts, with more students pursuing combined education-and-employment opportunities amid changing policy dynamics.
Cover image source: New International Student Enrollment Plummeted This Fall, Survey Finds 🔗
