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New Delhi: Harvard University saw a sharp drop in the number of Indian students in the fall of 2025, even after reporting the highest proportion of international students till now. As per the data released by the university, Indian students' enrolment fell by about 31 per cent compared with the previous academic year.
This comes along with the recent data, where it is found that international students made up a larger share of Harvard’s overall student population than ever before. Despite funding cuts, visa challenges and political pressure from the Trump administration on US universities, the rise in the enrollment of international students in the university can be seen.
In the fall of 2025, international students accounted for 28 per cent of Harvard’s total enrolment which is a total of 6,749 students. This is the highest share recorded since at least 2002. While the total number of international students rose by only about 50 students less than a 1 per cent increase it stood out in a year when foreign enrolment across US universities fell by 1 per cent nationwide.
In fall 2025, Harvard enrolled 545 students from India across its schools. This was a significant decline from the 788 Indian students and scholars enrolled during the 2024–25 academic year.
In contrast, enrolment from China increased with 1,452 students from the country in fall 2025, up from 1,203 the year before. Chinese students continue to be the largest international group on campus. Enrolment from South Korea also rose by nearly 9 per cent, while student numbers from India, the UK and Canada either declined or remained flat.
Harvard has been at the centre of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape higher education. What began as criticism over campus antisemitism expanded into wider disputes over diversity policies, governance, admissions and hiring practices.
Last year, the Trump administration froze billions of dollars in federal research funding and attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students after the university refused to meet certain federal demands. Federal courts later ruled in Harvard’s favour in two separate cases though the administration has appealed both decisions.
At the undergraduate level, international enrolment at Harvard College fell by 2.6 per cent. However, this decline was offset by growth in graduate and professional programmes.
