Indian applicants to US colleges drop 15% in 2025–26 cycle: Common App
Synopsis
India came within 1,000 applicants of overtaking China as the top international source country on Common App — then gave back most of those gains in a single cycle. The 15% drop to 14,424 is the sharpest reversal in nearly a decade of growth, and Common App has offered no explanation, leaving the cause an open question with significant implications for Indian students, US universities, and bilateral education ties.
Key Takeaways
Indian first-year applicants on Common App fell 15 per cent to 14,424 in the 2025–26 admissions cycle .
China remained the top international source country with 18,435 applicants, leading India by 4,011 — a gap that had narrowed to roughly 1,000 in 2023–24 .
Overall international applicants on the platform declined 10 per cent ; Asian applicants fell 11 per cent to 79,287 .
US-based applicants identifying as Indian rose six per cent to 40,949 , more than doubling since 2016–17 .
India remains the largest source of international students in the US overall, with 363,019 students counted in 2024–25 , up 10 per cent .
Common App did not provide a reason for the decline in Indian applications.
The number of students from India applying for first-year undergraduate admission at US colleges through the Common Application fell 15 per cent during the 2025–26 admissions cycle, reversing nearly a decade of rapid growth, according to Common App's end-of-season report released on 20 August. India recorded 14,424 applicants, down from approximately 16,900 in the previous cycle.
Key Developments
The 15 per cent decline from India was steeper than the two per cent fall recorded for China, which retained its position as the largest international source country on the platform with 18,435 applicants. China now leads India by 4,011 applicants — a gap that had narrowed to roughly 1,000 during the 2023–24 cycle, when India appeared on the verge of overtaking its rival as the top international feeder country.
Overall international applicants on Common App declined 10 per cent year-on-year. Applicants from Asia — the largest non-US source region — fell 11 per cent to 79,287, a drop the report attributed primarily to the sharp reduction from India. Common App did not identify a specific reason for the Indian decline.
A Decade of Growth, Then a Reversal
India's retreat is particularly striking given its recent trajectory. Common App recorded roughly 7,900 first-year international applicants from India in 2016–17, compared with nearly 29,700 from China at the time. Indian numbers climbed steadily before accelerating to approximately 16,900 in 2021–22, remaining near that level for three consecutive cycles. The fall to 14,424 erases a significant portion of those gains.
China, meanwhile, has followed the opposite long-term arc — declining from nearly 29,700 applicants in 2016–17 to 18,435 in the latest cycle, even as it maintained its lead over India.
Contrast with Domestic Indian-American Applicants
A notably different pattern emerged among applicants already residing in the United States. Domestic applicants identifying with an Indian background rose six per cent to 40,949 — more than double the approximately 18,500 recorded in 2016–17. By contrast, domestic applicants reporting a Chinese background edged up just one per cent to 26,296.
This divergence indicates that the Indian-American applicant pipeline is expanding robustly even as interest from students residing in India has cooled, suggesting the two cohorts are responding to different sets of incentives and constraints.
Broader Common App Trends
The overall Common App pool continued to grow. A total of 1,527,328 first-year applicants used the platform during the cycle — two per cent more than in 2024–25. Those students submitted approximately 10.79 million applications to 1,146 member institutions, a six per cent rise in total applications, indicating students applied to more colleges per head. The average applicant submitted 7.06 applications, up from 6.79 in the previous cycle.
India's Overall US Presence Remains Strong
Despite the undergraduate application dip, India remains the largest source of international students in the United States overall. The latest available Open Doors data counted 363,019 students from India during the 2024–25 academic year, an increase of 10 per cent from the prior year. Analysts note that the Common App data covers only its member institutions and does not capture every undergraduate applicant or university in the country.
Whether the 2025–26 drop represents a one-cycle correction or the beginning of a structural retreat will depend on factors including US immigration policy, visa processing timelines, and the relative attractiveness of alternative destinations such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Point of View
And that silence leaves room for multiple competing narratives: tightening US visa policy, rising costs, a post-pandemic normalisation, or a genuine pivot toward UK, Canadian, and Australian universities. What is clear is that India's near-decade of gains on the platform was more fragile than the growth curve suggested. The divergence between falling India-based applicants and surging Indian-American domestic applicants also points to a structural split in how the two cohorts perceive US higher education — one that universities and policymakers on both sides should examine more carefully than a single aggregate figure allows.
NationPress
27 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Indian applications to US colleges fall in 2025–26?
Common App's end-of-season report recorded a 15 per cent decline in Indian first-year applicants to 14,424 in 2025–26 but did not identify a specific reason for the drop. Analysts have pointed to possible factors including US visa processing challenges, rising tuition costs, and growing interest in alternative study destinations such as Canada and the UK.
How does India compare to China in Common App applications?
China remained the largest international source country on Common App with 18,435 applicants in 2025–26, leading India by 4,011. The gap had narrowed to roughly 1,000 during the 2023–24 cycle, when India appeared close to overtaking China, making the latest reversal particularly significant.
Did overall international applications to US colleges also fall?
Yes. Overall international applicants on Common App declined 10 per cent in 2025–26. Applicants from Asia, the largest non-US source region, fell 11 per cent to 79,287, with the report attributing much of that decline to the sharp drop from India.
How many Indian students are currently studying in the US?
Despite the undergraduate application decline, India remains the largest source of international students in the United States. Open Doors data counted 363,019 students from India during the 2024–25 academic year, a 10 per cent increase from the previous year.
Did Indian-American applicants also decline?
No — domestic US applicants identifying with an Indian background rose six per cent to 40,949 in the latest cycle, more than doubling from roughly 18,500 in 2016–17. The decline was specific to applicants residing in India, not to those of Indian origin already living in the United States.
