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US sees sharp decline in international students arrival, including 50 pc fall from India; Here's what has changed
International student arrivals in US in July 2025 dropped by 28.5% compared to July 2024, with predictions of a 50% decline in new enrollments by fall 2025.
International student arrivals in July were significantly lower than they were last year, according to US Immigration Data. According to Forbes, new student enrollment at US institutions is predicted to decline by about 50% in the fall of 2025, with students from India experiencing a nearly 50% decline.
The decrease in foreign students traveling to the US is probably due to the Trump administration's activities, which include rescinding visas, delaying visa interviews, and threatening to eliminate Optional Practical Training.
A look at foreign students entry in US
Based on ADIS/I-94 data, the US Overseas Trade Administration said the number of foreign students entering the nation on visas in July 2025 was 28.5% lower than in July 2024.
In July 2025, there were 76,519 international student arrivals in the US, down from 106,993 in July 2024.
The Arrival and Departure Information System is a branch of the US Department of Commerce, and the data is provided by US Customs and Border Protection. It does not include early figures from Canada and Mexico.
The data indicates that fewer foreign students will be attending American universities in the fall. New international students cannot arrive 30 days before the start of their program, which may include orientation.
The majority of students who are visiting the United States for the first time would need to arrive in July or early August. For example, August 25 or 27 is when classes at Georgetown, George Washington, George Mason, American University, and the University of Maryland start in the Washington, D.C., area.
Here's why US is witnessing decline
One reason for the decline in arrivals could be that currently enrolled international students are not opting to travel abroad for vacations or to see family members as they did in the past. Many colleges suggested that instead of risking the Trump administration preventing their return, students should think about staying in the United States.
A fall in new enrollment may not be as noticeable when comparing year-to-date data because of the lesser decline in international student arrivals.
The July and August 2025 figures would probably show such decline. In comparison with the same period in 2024, the number of international students arriving fell by 7.7% between January and July of 2025.
US sees fall in students from Asia
US government data indicates that in July 2025, there were substantially fewer new Asian overseas students than there were in the same month the previous year. This scenario is similar to the two nations that send the highest number of students to the US.
In July 2025, there were 25.6% fewer international students from China (from 19,634 to 14,601) and 46.4% fewer from India (from 24,298 to 13,027) than in July 2024. The proportion of overseas students from the Philippines (-40.8%), Vietnam (-36.0%), South Korea (-19.7%) and Taiwan (-14.5%) decreased throughout the same time period.
