Trump administration proposes 15% cap on international undergraduates at top US universities

In a dramatic shift to higher education policy, the Trump administration has announced a memo directing that select US universities limit their international undergraduate enrolment to no more than 15% of the student body. The measure also stipulates that no more than 5% of students should come from a single country.

The memo, part of a broader “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” links compliance to eligibility for federal grants and funding. It requires participating universities to adopt changes including freezing tuition for five years, eliminating consideration of race or gender in admissions and hiring, publishing anonymized admissions data, and ensuring that foreign students uphold “American and Western values.”

Nine leading institutions have been specifically targeted—among them MIT, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, Dartmouth, University of Southern California, University of Texas, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt, and University of Arizona. Schools already exceeding the new caps will have to cut down their foreign enrolment to bring them into compliance.

The proposed policy has triggered pushback from academic and civil liberties groups, with concerns centering on academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and the impact on global student mobility.

Critics argue that capping international students could reduce cultural exchange, undermine university revenues, and damage US higher education’s global standing.

Already, universities are reeling from declines in international student numbers due to tighter visa policies, higher scrutiny, and global competition. DePaul University, for instance, has reported a 30 percent drop in international enrolment this fall, forcing budget cuts.

For Indian students, the implications could be significant. India has long been the largest single source of international students in the US, with over 330,000 Indian students enrolled in 2023–24.

Many fear that these restrictions, coupled with more rigorous screening, could derail plans to study in the US and push them to look at alternative destinations like Canada, Europe, or Australia.

As universities evaluate how to respond, the memo intensifies debates over national sovereignty, the role of higher education, and the balance between domestic priorities and international collaboration.