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Fewer Indian student admissions hurt U.S. money, influence: Zakaria
Zakaria argues that Indian students' immigration to the U.S. has seen a 50 percent decline.
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Jeffin T. Kaleekal - Wed, 07, Jan 2026
- 03:21 EST
- 146
Fareed Zakaria in Charlie Rose- Global Conversation / Charlie Rose- Global Conversation
'Americans attracting foreign students who come and pay full fees...That's all going away', says Indian origin CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria, questioning the steep decline in the number of foreign students in the country.
Talking to Charlie Rose on 'Charlie Rose- Global Conversation', Zakaria noted that more and more Indian immigrant students are choosing to skip studying in the United States and thereby costing the country a significant amount of money.
According to the study by NITI Aayog, Canada, the US, the UK and Australia together hosted around 0.85 million Indian students, who spent nearly Rs 2.9 trillion on higher education during 2023–24.
ALSO READ: Over 1.3 million Indian students studied abroad in 2024: NITI Aayog
Zakaria narrated his conversation with a friend who had invested in a company that helps Indians secure loans for international courses to exemplify his argument, he noted that his friend's overall business has witnessed a 20 percent annual increase but business from students going to America has seen a 50 percent decline.
Quoting his friend, Zakaria added, "People are discovering the rest of the world. They're discovering that they could go to universities in Australia and in Canada and in Britain, and they're realizing that it's a third of the price."
He attributed the situation to the end of what he describes as the "halo-effect" of American Universities, where students are seeing past the idea that irrespective of the university and its quality, people believed that American universities are the best.
Zakaria also highlighted the consequence of such a decline and said, "I think we're talking about $40- $50 billion business a year. Americans attracting foreign students who come and pay full fees. That's all going away."
He also pointed out that the shift not only has economic consequences but also takes away the influence that America gained by educating the global elite.
A Dec. 2025 study by Stop AAPI Hate, shows that 90 percent of students reported fear or uncertainty about their visa situation, including risks of detention, deportation, or disruption to their academic progress, with over 72 percent immigrant students coming from Asia, mostly from India and China.
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