The latest IIE Open Doors report states that a little over two lakh eighteen thousand Indian students were studying in 2024-25 in undergraduate and graduate programmes in American universities and colleges. This number excludes a bit over one lakh forty-three thousand students who were on Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows them to stay and work in the U.S. for up to 36 months following graduation from a programme in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. The number of Indian students in the U.S. grew from a pandemic year low of a little over ninety-two thousand in 2020-21 (excluding OPT) by a lofty 135% in just four years--an indicator of pent-up demand.

This growth, however, does not factor-in the effect of the tightening of the visa and immigration policies triggered by the current administration in 2025 and the sustainability of this growth is in jeopardy. The big question is whether the U.S. is still a destination of choice for Indian students? To answer this question, let us look at the primary drivers of mobility for Indian students.

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