Top Foreign Destinations of Indian, Chinese Students
By Tom Kagy | 24 Oct, 2025

Rather than welcoming the annual influx of gifted, ambitious and affluent foreign students, the US has begun turning them off and away, as suggested by available data for the current academic year.

Why should we care where Indian and Chinese students go to college?

Because that's a key leading indicator of how well the US will fare in the intense global competition of coming decades.

Foreign students who study overseas are, on average, an elite from their populous homelands, able to rank in the top 1%-3% of US college students.  Their talents have long enriched US higher education and the US tech sector.   Without the tens of millions of Chinese, Indian and other foreign students who have studied here during the past half century we wouldn't enjoy our dominance in everything from AI to chips, biotech, finance, software, and the space program.  

(Image by Grok)

As much as 50% of the heavy intellectual work in those industries is powered by foreign-born engineers, researchers and developers, a majority of whom studied at US universities.  They are the backbone of the virtuous educational cycle that turned US universities into a hotbed of talent and achievement, making them the most desirable destinations for ambitious and affluent students from around the world.  In turn, those foreign students often turn into valued workers contributing to US industry and academia.

There's another important dimension to the influx of foreign students: they are the leading indicators of how the US is doing in maintaining an open, stable, forward-looking society.  The last thing a gifted and ambitious student wants is to try to make their futures in a society in the process of disintegrating.  Of course the US isn't exactly on the verge of collapse yet, but to a foreign student it's starting to look like a troubled society heading in the wrong direction.

The steady influx of about a million foreign students who study in the US each year is like a nuclear reactor powering American prosperity.  It's a coveted asset that countries like China, Canada, Australia, S. Korea and Germany have been trying to create with programs designed to attract talented foreign students.  And, as can be seen by its success in attracting more Indian students than the US since the 2023 academic year, Canada has enjoyed remarkable success.

By the time Trump began his crusade against foreign students and workers most foreign students had already registered for the 2025-26 academic year, limiting Trump's impact on current foreign student totals.  But some students were able to make last minute diversions away from what is increasingly looking like a hostile United States to countries with a more welcoming social climate.  Those numbers show up in our data below.

When foreign students decide where to study, many are looking at prospects for lucrative employment during post-graduate studies and after finishing their educations.  Trump's recent $100,000 fees for H-1B visas is like an exclamation point to his implicit warning to foreign students to stay away.  It's likely to have a big impact on where foreign students decide to enroll for the 2026-2027 academic year.

We queried AI assistants to seek out available data on the top 10 countries that attract Indian and Chinese students with the prompt:

To assess the impact of Trump policies toward foreign students and migrants on the foreign destinations of Chinese and Indian students, list the top 10 destination nations for students from China and India for the academic year 2024-2025 and a separate list for the 2025-2026 academic year for comparison purposes. Include the actual numbers of students for each chart.

It being early in the 2025-26 academic year, most chatbots weren't able to find much credible data.  One was able to offer estimates.

Copilot:

Here are the top 10 destination countries for Chinese and Indian students in the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years, with actual student numbers where available. These figures help assess shifts potentially influenced by U.S. immigration and education policies under President Trump.

🇨🇳 Chinese Students Abroad

📘 Academic Year 2024–2025

1 United States 289,525  LinkedIn

2 United Kingdom ~150,000 (est.)  chinesetouristagency.com

3 Australia ~120,000 (est.)  digitalcrew.com.au

4 Canada ~100,000 (est.)  chinesetouristagency.com

5 Russia 56,000  Statista

6 Germany ~40,000 (est.)

7 Japan ~30,000 (est.)

8 South Korea ~25,000 (est.)

9 France ~20,000 (est.)

10 Singapore ~18,000 (est.)

📘 Academic Year 2025–2026

1 United States ~275,000 (est.)  LinkedIn

2 United Kingdom ~155,000 (est.)  chinesetouristagency.com

3 Australia ~125,000 (est.)  digitalcrew.com.au

4 Canada ~105,000 (est.)

5 Russia ~60,000 (est.)  Statista

6 Germany ~42,000 (est.)

7 Japan ~32,000 (est.)

8 South Korea~28,000 (est.)

9 France~22,000 (est.)

10 Netherlands~18,000 (est.)

🇮🇳 Indian Students Abroad

📘 Academic Year 2024–2025

1 Canada 427,000  bluehawks.in

2 United States 337,630  bluehawks.in

3 United Kingdom 185,000  bluehawks.in

4 Australia 122,202  bluehawks.in

5 Germany 42,000 (est.)

6 France ~30,000 (est.)

7 Ireland~25,000 (est.)

8 New Zealand~20,000 (est.)

9 UAE ~18,000 (est.)

10 Kazakhstan 11,638  CNBCTV18

📘 Academic Year 2025–2026

1 Canada ~440,000 (est.)

2 United States ~330,000 (est.)

3 United Kingdom ~190,000 (est.)

4 Australia ~125,000 (est.)

5 Germany ~45,000 (est.)

6 France ~32,000 (est.)

7Ireland ~27,000 (est.)

8 UAE ~20,000 (est.)

9 Netherlands ~18,000 (est.)

10 Kazakhstan ~12,000 (est.)

Key Observations:

• Chinese student numbers in the U.S. declined slightly, likely due to visa restrictions and geopolitical tensions LinkedIn  Statista.
• Indian student numbers in Canada surged, possibly due to more favorable immigration pathways and post-study work options  bluehawks.in.
• Russia and Southeast Asia gained traction among Chinese students, reflecting a pivot away from traditional Western destinations  Statista.
• Indian students are diversifying destinations, with growing interest in Europe and the Middle East.

**

Gemini:

Providing precise, verified data for the Top 10 Destination Nations for Chinese and Indian students with exact student numbers for the future academic years of 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 is not possible.

Enrollment data is typically compiled and released by national governments and international organizations after the academic year has concluded. The numbers for 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 are still projections.

However, based on the most recent trends and projections available, I can provide you with a list of the most consistently popular destination nations for both Chinese and Indian students, along with the most recently reported or estimated student numbers for key destinations to illustrate the current trends.

🌏 Top Destination Nations and Enrollment Trends

The "Big Four" Anglophone nations (USA, UK, Canada, and Australia) remain the primary destinations for both Chinese and Indian students. However, emerging trends show Indian students increasingly favoring Canada, while Chinese students are showing a growing preference for Asian and European alternatives.

🎓 Academic Year: 2024-2025 (Projected/Recent Trends)

1 United States (USA) India is now the top source of international students in the US, surpassing China. India: approx 331,602 (2023-2024) China: approx 277,398 (2023-2024)

2 United Kingdom (UK) High demand from both countries, though Indian student growth has been significant. Indian Students: approx 111,329$ (Latest available data, high growth)

3 Canada Extremely popular for Indian students due to work permits and immigration pathways. Indian Students: approx 137,608 (Estimate for 2025)

4 Australia Popular for high quality of life and post-study work visas; some recent policy changes may impact future intake. Indian Students: approx 118,109 (Latest available data)

5 Germany Attracts students (especially from India) due to low/no tuition fees at public universities and strong STEM programs. Indian Students: approx 49,008 (Latest available data)

6 France Growing interest, particularly among Indian students, due to affordable public tuition and post-study work options. All International Students: approx 443,500$ (2024/25 Academic Year)

7 Japan Popular for Chinese students, known for technology and culture. Numbers not consistently released with full detail.

8 South Korea Increasing appeal to Chinese students, driven by tech and pop-culture.Numbers not consistently released with full detail.

9 Ireland Rising for Indian students due to tech industry presence (Google, Meta) and 2-year post-study work visa.Rising in popularity.

10 New Zealand Appealing for a safe environment and pathway to permanent residency (PR).Indian Students: approx 22,225 (Estimate for 2025)

📈 Academic Year: 2025-2026 (Forward-Looking Projections)

The overall ranking of destination countries is not projected to change significantly for this year, but the differential growth rate between Indian and Chinese students in certain countries is expected to continue.

1 United States (USA) Expected to remain the top overall destination, with Indian enrollment maintaining its lead over China. Continued appeal of top-tier universities and STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT).

2 United Kingdom (UK) Projected to remain highly popular, though recent policy changes on dependents may temper growth. Prestige of institutions and shorter degree programs remain a strong draw.

3 Canada Projected to see continued strong demand from Indian students, despite recent government announcements on student intake caps. Favorable Permanent Residency (PR) pathways are a major incentive.

4 Australia Projected to remain strong, but potential government-imposed caps on international enrollment will limit growth. High post-study work opportunities and quality of life.

5 Germany Expected to maintain its rank, primarily driven by Indian students pursuing affordable, high-quality engineering/tech degrees. Free tuition at most public universities.

6 France Expected to continue its growth as an attractive, affordable European alternative for both countries. Low tuition fees and increasing number of English-taught programs.

7 Japan / South Korea Expected to continue attracting a larger share of Chinese students as a regional option. Geographic and cultural proximity; strong tech and engineering sectors.

8 Ireland Growth driven by the high concentration of global tech and pharma companies.Strong graduate employment and 2-year stay-back option.

9 Netherlands Increasing popularity for English-taught Master's degrees in a central European location.High-quality education at a moderate cost.

10 New Zealand / Singapore Stable, attractive alternatives. Singapore is a growing hub for business/finance in Asia.New Zealand for safety/PR; Singapore for a high-tech Asian hub.

💡 Context for Policy Impact

The data shows that the US remains a premier destination, but its share of the market is shifting:

• Impact of Policies on Indian Students: Despite the past political climate, the US maintains its allure, but Canada's immigration-friendly policies and Germany's/France's low-cost education have been key factors in diversifying the Indian student flow.

• Impact of Policies on Chinese Students: The overall number of Chinese students studying abroad is still the highest in the world ($\approx 1$ million), but their numbers in the US have declined while they show increasing interest in Asian alternatives (Japan, South Korea) and politically neutral European countries. This diversification has been attributed to geopolitical tensions and a desire for more affordable, geographically closer options.

Would you like me to research the specific policies enacted toward foreign students and migrants during the Trump administration (2017-2021) to provide deeper context on the potential impact?