New Indian arrivals to US colleges fell 45% in Aug 2025 report: GMAC

Indian students planning for US intakes are facing fresh uncertainty after a new Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) white paper reported a 45% drop in “new international enrolments” from India across US higher education in August 2025, compared with the previous year. The paper links the decline to visa-process disruption and broader concerns around affordability and post-study pathways, factors that can affect deposit-to-enrolment conversions, especially for Fall intakes.

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What changed, and what does the 45% refers to?

GMAC’s report, The great re-routing of global business talent, says the broader US higher education sector saw a sharp drop in new international enrolments in August 2025, with India showing the steepest decline (down 45%).

It also notes that in GMAC’s own pulse survey of business schools (focused on graduate management education), many US-based programmes reported post-admit “drop-off” from India, students who paid a deposit but did not matriculate, often tied to delays/denials or students holding multiple deposits.

Why visa uncertainty is back in focus

The GMAC paper points to US visa interview disruption in summer 2025 as part of the context for slower processing, and argues that policy signals and administrative uncertainty can have a “chilling effect” on candidate intent beyond formal rules.

For students tracking real-time availability, the US State Department’s visa wait-time tool is the official reference for interview timelines by consulate and visa category.

Check US visa wait times

Rising costs and weaker rupee: the affordability squeeze

Costs remain a major pressure point. For 2025–26, the College Board estimates average “sticker” tuition and fees at US public four-year out-of-state: $31,880 (and in-state: $11,950) – before living expenses.

With the USD-INR exchange rate around ₹91 per $1 (as of March 1, 2026), dollar-denominated expenses translate into significantly higher rupee outgo for Indian families.

Context: the US still hosted record Indian student numbers recently

This reported August 2025 dip in new enrolments sits alongside the most recent widely cited annual benchmark: Open Doors 2024 reported the US hosted a record 331,602 Indian students in 2023/24, and total international enrolment hit an all-time high.

In other words, the GMAC finding is about a sharp short-term cooling in new starts/conversions during a specific period, not a complete reversal of the US as a destination.

Key numbers at a glance

• 45% drop in students from India among new international enrolments across US higher education (Aug 2025 vs prior year)
• GMAC flags post-deposit non-matriculation from India as a major issue for US programmes in its survey sample
• $31,880 average published tuition+fees for US public four-year out-of-state (2025–26)
• ₹91/$ approximate USD-INR level used for current conversions

What Indian applicants should do now (practical steps)

• Start visa planning earlier than your intake deadlines and keep checking official wait times for your consulate.
• Treat cost as a full-year “COA” problem, not just tuition, model USD costs at today’s FX and build a buffer for volatility.
• Avoid risky deposit strategies unless you can afford overlap; GMAC’s report flags multi-deposit behaviour and visa delays as common causes for drop-offs.
• If the US remains your goal, prioritise programmes with clear CPT/OPT support, documented career outcomes, and transparent I-20 timelines (verify on official university pages).