Indian Students Flock to Elite US Institutions Amid Global Political Shifts

New Delhi: Changing political equations globally and the Donald Trump administration's restrictions on foreign students and visa rules in the US were expected to dampen the enthusiasm of Indian students to go to the US. But the latest data from leading foreign study services platforms is showing a different trend. There has been a definite decline in the number of Indian students seeking admission to general colleges and universities in the US, but there has been an unprecedented surge in the number of bright Indian students seeking admission to the world's most prestigious'Ivy League'and top-30 educational institutions. According to Kunal Mehra, CEO and Regional Director (MENA Region) of study abroad platform Crimson Education India, the number of Indians applying for premium educational institutions continues to grow. In the academic session of the year 2025-26, 175 Indian students applied through their institution for Ivy League and equivalent colleges, up from 130 the previous year.