The US colleges have seen a roughly 9% decline in applications from foreign students this year compared to the previous year.
India is the biggest contributor to this decline, with applications from Indian students down 14% which is the first drop since 2020.
Other regions also saw declines. Applications from Africa fell 18%, while overall applications from Asia dropped around 9%. China saw only a 1% decrease, halting its previous growth.
The figures come from Common App, a US application platform used by over 1,100 colleges.
Experts attribute the decline to stricter US visa policies and tighter oversight of foreign enrolment. The student visa process has become more stringent, and some visas have even been revoked.
Some US universities are also reducing reliance on international students, many of whom pay full tuition.
These numbers reflect early application data up to November 1 and cover only part of the full admissions season, which continues until around March.
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