New Delhi: The American dream is no longer driven only by the metro cities. India’s global education journey is now dominated by Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, despite the visa uncertainty by the Trump administration.
“Students from Indore, Bhubaneswar, Punjab, Surat, Coimbatore, Mysuru, Nagpur and parts of Northeast India are applying in far greater numbers than before. Many come from humble, middle-class families, children of teachers, bank employees and small business owners,” reveals a recent study by Prodigy Finance.
The study said that in 2024 and 2025, visa uncertainty emerged in conversations, but it did not slow down Indian students. The challenges have not deterred Indian applicants.
“India now makes up almost one-third of all international students in the US, with 3,63,019 enrolments in the latest cycle,” the report said.
The Trump administration enforced stricter visa application rules and rolled back pandemic-era flexibilities. In September, the US Department of State barred all non-immigrant visa applicants, including students, visitors and work visas, from applying outside their country of citizenship.
After the policy change, Indian applicants are now compelled to apply through US consulates in India, where waiting times are high.
But ambitions have no boundaries. For decades, the US has been the favourite destination for Indian students. It is no longer only the metros filling the international classrooms. “The aspiration has widened,” reads the report.
According to a report on Indian students’ enrollment abroad by UpGrad’s Transnational Education (TNE), more than 57.2 per cent of Indian students enrolled abroad now hail from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, a sharp rise from 47 per cent the previous year.
However, overall global enrolment in the US institutions fell by 7 per cent. Earlier, China dominated the US institutions, but its numbers dropped for the fifth consecutive year.
“Wherever Indian students go, they excel not by chance but by capability and character. Our youth are driving global classrooms, research labs and innovation economies with the same confidence with which they are shaping India’s own growth story,” Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
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The US craze
Much of this rise is being fuelled by STEM courses, which continue to be the strongest pull for Indian students heading to the US.
The US hosted 11,77,766 international students in 2024 and 2025, up by 4.5 per cent across all nationalities. But Indians stand out because of their academic choices. “Seven in ten Indians in the US now sit in STEM classrooms,” the report said.
According to the report, 43.4 per cent of Indian students are in mathematics and computer science, and 22.8 per cent in engineering.
“Students still see the United States as the place where academic depth meets career possibility. Even when they explore countries like the UK, Germany, Australia or the UAE, the American option sits at the centre. What has changed is who is applying. We’re hearing from students in smaller cities who have done their research, understand the timelines and are much more informed about STEM pathways, OPT and financing,” Sonal Kapoor, Global Chief Business Officer at Prodigy Finance, said.
The report highlights the shift behind the fact that Indian students are using work-linked pathways in the US. Optional Practical Training (OPT) has become central to this transition.
According to the US Department of Homeland Security, OPT is the main bridge for international graduates entering the American workforce. “A larger share of Indian master’s and doctoral graduates are choosing to remain in the US through OPT to gain early professional experience and strengthen their long-term career prospects before moving to routes such as the H-1B or other work categories,” said the report.
Despite rising interest in other destinations, the academic draw of the US remains unchanged. States such as California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and Illinois continue to be some of the most picked destinations by Indian students. Sixty-three per cent of Indian students prefer public institutions in the US, while 37 per cent are attracted by private institutions.
“The appeal of the US is familiar, yet the students powering this growth represent a changing India confident, broad-based and focused on building a future that matches their ambition,” the report said.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)