Sitting in the library last week, my friend showed me a headline on her phone: Indian student applications to US universities dropped 14% this year.
That might not sound huge, but here’s the thing: this is the first decline since 2020 and the steepest drop among all major countries sending students to the US. Overall applications fell 9%. China? Only 1%. But India, the country that sent over 330,000 students to America last year, more than any other nation, just said no.
Everyone’s already got their explanation ready: Trump. The visa restrictions. The anti-immigration rhetoric. But if you think this is just about one president or one policy, you’re missing what’s actually happening.
The American Dream Stopped Being Ours
My parents’ generation had a formula: get into an American university, get your degree, get a job, get your H-1B visa, send money home. It was clean. It was proven. It was the path.
I grew up watching that formula break.
My cousin graduated from a top US university with $80,000 in debt, scrambled for H-1B sponsorship, lost the lottery twice, and came back to Bangalore anyway. My neighbor’s son gave up after three years of trying to convert his student visa. People invested everything into a system that kept moving the goalposts.
At some point, we all stopped believing in the promise. Not in American education itself (MIT is still MIT, Stanford is still Stanford). But in the idea that if you work hard enough, pay enough, sacrifice enough, you’ll actually get to stay.
We Didn’t Stop Wanting to Study Abroad. We Just Started Going Elsewhere.
Here’s what the headlines miss: while US numbers dropped, students flooded into Europe instead. Applications rose for Germany, Ireland, and the UK.
These aren’t backup options anymore. They’re first choices. Last month I was at a career fair, half the booths were European institutions. Nobody mentioned America.
We didn’t give up on international education, but we simply just stopped wanting the drama that comes with America.
It’s Not About Prestige Anymore. It’s About Math.
My parents measured success in brand names: Harvard, Berkeley, Columbia.
We measure it differently: can I afford this, will I get a job after, can I stay if I want to, will I drown in debt for the next decade?
Here’s the math that stopped adding up: you’re asking us to pay ₹1 crore ($120,000) for a degree. Take out loans our families can’t always afford. Spend two years worried about visa appointments that disappear overnight. Graduate into an H-1B lottery where 40% of applicants get rejected. And then just maybe work for a few years before the next administration decides we’re a problem.
Compare that with countries such as Germany, Norway, Finland, that give free public universities, guaranteed post-study work rights, and immigration systems that actually welcome skilled workers rather than making you feel like you’re doing them a favor.
A friend of mine got into both US and European universities this year, and chose Europe without a second thought. Why? She couldn’t afford to spend her twenties in limbo, constantly uncertain about whether she’d be allowed to stay.
The Shift Isn’t Just Practical. It’s Emotional.
We don’t doubt that American universities are excellent. We doubt that America wants us. My roommate, who used to only talk about her Master’s in the US, is learning a new language now. My best friend from school just got accepted to Trinity College Dublin and she’s never been happier.
That is not pragmatism. That is heartbreak with a backup plan.
What It Feels Like From Here
I’m writing this from an Indian college campus, watching this shift happen in real time.
I mean, two years ago, everyone I knew was prepping for the GRE and generally obsessing over US university rankings, treating America like it was the only option. Now? Half my friends are on Duolingo learning European languages. The rest are researching alternative destinations. Nobody talks about the US except to share visa rejection horror stories.
It’s strange because we grew up consuming American culture. Friends, How I Met Your Mother, Gossip Girl, only to name a few. We followed American influencers. The US was aspirational. It was the place.
But somewhere between the visa chaos and the constant message that we’re not wanted unless we’re exceptionally useful, we stopped seeing ourselves there.
The US Will Feel This Eventually
It’s not just numbers that are lost, but talent: students who would have stayed on, started companies, contributed to research, built entire lives there. Brain drain in reverse.
Here’s the thing about losing a generation’s faith: it’s really hard to get back.
Our parents still believe in the American Dream because they saw it work. We don’t, because we watched it die. And when we have kids someday, we won’t tell them “work hard and go to America.” We’ll tell them “work hard and go somewhere that actually values you.”