India has retained its position as the largest source of international students in the US for the second consecutive year in 2024-25, surpassing China even as early indicators point to a sharp decline of 17% in overall new international student enrolments in fall 2025, following a 7% drop in fall 2024 amidst ongoing visa uncertainties in the US, according to the latest Open Doors 2025 report released on Monday, reported Hindustan Times.

According to the report, a total of 3,63,019 Indian students were studying in the US in the academic year 2024-25, a 9.5% jump from the previous year’s 3,31,602. Indians now account for 30.8% of all 11,17,766 international students in the country. China sent 2,65,919 students to the US in 2024-25, marking a 4% drop from the previous year and its lowest total in at least eight years.

India overtook China in 2023–24 to become the largest source of international students in the US for the first time in 15 years. Together, India and China accounted for 53.4% of all international students in the US in 2024-25.

Surge in undergrads and OPT, decline in graduate enrollments

Indian student growth in the US was fuelled by an 11.3% rise in undergraduate enrollments, which increased from 36,053 in 2023–24 to 40,135 in 2024–25, and 47.3% surge in participation in Optional Practical Training (OPT), jumping from 97,556 to 143,740 students, accounting for more than a third of all Indian students in the US, reflecting a strong preference for work-based training and pathways to employment.

However, there has been a 9.5% decline in graduate enrolments, dropping from 1,96,567 to 1,77,892. Non-degree enrollments also dipped by 12.2%, falling from 14,26 to 1,252.

Total international students rise, but new enrollments fall

US colleges and universities hosted 1.2 million (11,77,766) international students in the 2024-2025 academic year, a 4.5% increase from 11,26,690 in 2023-24, the report said, adding that international students accounted for 6% of the total US higher education population of 19,247,640 as the country “remains the top destination for international students globally.”

However, the number of new international students, those enrolling in a US-based college or university for the first time in fall 2024, fell by 7.2% to 2,77,118 from 2,98,705 in the previous year.

Early signs of steeper decline in fall 2025

Though the Open Doors 2025 report covers the academic year 2024-25, based on the fall semester, approximately from August to December 2024, it has provided a “snapshot” of fall 2025, offering early trends on international students enrolments for the 2025-26 academic year.

STEM dominates, 57% of international students choose tech fields

Across all academic levels, 57% of international students in 2024-25 enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programmes in the US.

The Open Doors report is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and is considered the leading source of data on international students in the US and US students studying abroad.