List of Most Affected Universities by Trump's H1B Visa Fee Hike

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List of Most Affected Universities by Trump's H1B Visa Fee Hike

List of Most Affected Universities by Trump's H1B Visa Fee Hike

Ipshita ghoshUpdated on 08 Oct 2025, 03:13 PM IST

President Donald Trump’s recent H-1B visa fee hike has impacted the top universities in the US. With a $100k visa fee, preferring older, high-paid workers, universities who have always been relying on international talent are facing financial pressure. Amidst all the debates and discussion around big names within the tech industry like Google and Amazon combating the current visa overhauls, universities are immediate victims. This is because they not just recruit international faculty and staff, but also retain talented international graduates from their own programs who wish to study in US.

This Story also Contains

Why are American Universities Hit First?
25 US Universities Affected by H-1B Visa Fee Hike
Hiring International Faculty for these Universities Under Threat
OPT and F-1 Visa Changes Faced by International Students
What is the impact on enrollment in the US?
How are other countries reacting to the situation in the US?
Conclusion

List of Most Affected Universities by Trump's H1B Visa Fee Hike

Why are American Universities Hit First?

There is no visa cap for the US universities, which means they can apply for H-1B visas all year-round, unlike the private companies that can only apply during the annual lottery. This flexibility allows them to keep the medicine, engineering, and AI fields competitive for every student. Initially, they only had to pay a modest administrative cost that ranged between $2, 000 -$ 5,000, but now, they are facing the financial burden of paying a huge $100,000 per visa to the Trump administration. The director of the immigration policy at the Institute of Progress says,
“The universities are on the frontlines and this is just a pure tax on their pipeline.”

Also Read: New Visa Rules for international Students

25 US Universities Affected by H-1B Visa Fee Hike

As per the database of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), these are the 25 universities that got the highest number of H-1B visas in the first three quarters of Fiscal Year 2025 (October 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025).

University	H-1B Visas (FY 2025 Q1–Q3)	% of Graduate Students International (2023)
Stanford University	500	36%
University of Michigan	465	28%
Columbia University	440	46%
Harvard University	430	32%
University of California, Berkeley	410	29%
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	405	38%
University of Washington	400	33%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	390	35%
Carnegie Mellon University	375	41%
Washington University in St. Louis	360	46%
Northwestern University	355	30.00%
University of Southern California (USC)	350.00	39.00%
University of Texas at Austin	340	27.00%
Cornell University	330.00	31.00%
Yale University	320.00	28.00%
University of Pennsylvania	310.00	29.00%
Johns Hopkins University	305	37.00%
Duke University	300	30.00%
University of Wisconsin–Madison	295	25.00%
University of Chicago	285	32.00%
New York University	280	34.00%
Purdue University	270	40.00%
University of California, San Diego	260	28.00%
Princeton University	250	27.00%
University of Minnesota	245	26.00%

Note: These universities rely heavily on global academic talent, as the total number of international students in these universities make up more than a quarter of total graduate enrolments.

Related Reads:

Is H‑1B Visa Better Than a Green Card for Indian Students	Changes to H1B 2026 that Might Impact your US Visa
US Student Visa Fees in Indian Rupees	US Study Visa F-1 Debt Trap

Hiring International Faculty for these Universities Under Threat

A majority of the scholars within many departments like STEM and medicine are international students, and around 40% of the faculty are also foreign nationals. The decision of raising fees on H-1B by Trump to $100 k c a n a f f e c t t h e d e c i s i o n o f u n i v e r s i t i e s t o h i r e i n t e r n a t i o n a l t a l e n t, e s p e c i a l l y t h e d e p a r t m e n t s t h a t a r e a l r e a d y s t r u g g l i n g f i n a n c i a l l y . I t i s o b v i o u s t h a t t h e y w i l l b e r e l u c t a n t t o p a y s i x f i g u r e s j u s t t o h i r e a r e s e a r c h e r o n b o a r d, a s o b s e r v e d b y P r o f e s s o r J o r g e C o r o n a d o . H e s a y s, “ A n$ 100,000 sticker on already strained budgets would be taken into consideration [in hiring.] I don’t see how it wouldn’t be.”

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OPT and F-1 Visa Changes Faced by International Students

The H-1B fee hike is just a small part of Trump's immigration overhaul. The F-1 student visas and the Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs are also under their target. These are the major pathways for an international student to stay and work in the US after graduation. Targeting these could result in:

New F-1 time limits could force students to leave sooner.
OPT restrictions could cut off up to three years of post-study work for STEM graduates.
Together, these changes break the traditional pathway from student → postdoc → H-1B researcher.

In effect, universities could lose both their future workforce and their most talented alumni.

Know More About:

US Government Proposes International Students Cap on Top 9 US Universities	US Student Visa Rules
Government Shutdown in the United States	H1B Visa vs OPT

What is the impact on enrollment in the US?

The ripple effect of the ongoing immigration policy changes are already visible. As per the records of the U.S. International Trade Administration, international student arrivals from Canada and Mexico reduced by 19% in August 2025 as compared to 2024, and further reduced by 28% in July 2025. The result of this decline is largely felt in the university finances and research productivity as university students contribute significantly.

How are other countries reacting to the situation in the US?

While the US is turning inward amidst the ongoing visa changes, other countries are opening the doors for international students.

Canada is considering a “clear offering” for skilled tech workers affected by the H-1B clampdown.
Germany, the U.K., and China are actively recruiting international researchers and students disillusioned with U.S. policies.

Conclusion

Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee risks doing long-term damage to the global academic sector in America. Universities like Stanford, Columbia, and Northwestern are on the verge of losing their scholars and scientists. With this policy, not only will the US universities suffer, but the entire United States will face serious consequences.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Are US visa fees going to increase?

Yes, US visa fees are increasing due to the introduction of a $250 v i s a i n t e g r i t y f e e a n d a n I - 94 f e e ($ 24) for non-immigrant visa applicants from October 1, 2025. Trump also decided to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100k.

Q: What percent of H1B visas are Indian?

Indians get the maximum number of H-1B visas., Around 70% to 72% of the H-1B visas granted in recent years are for Indians.

Q: How much is the H-1B visa fee?

The new mandatory fee for H-1B visa is $100,000 from September 21, 2025. It is a significant increase from the previous fees and is applicable only to new petitions.

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Questions related to

On Question asked by student community

Have a question related to ?

Hi All, I will be travelling to US on visitor Visa. Can i use that time to study any short term course.

Hi there

Yes you can try to learn various courses that are for approximately 3 months to 6 months in duration.

Yes you can learn before going to us. Learning skills definitively adds some value to the life of a candidate and also improves in getting good recognition in life..

Below i have mentioned some courses that you can try before visiting us:

Social media marketing
Content writer
Content creation
Video editing
Photography skills
Digital marketing
Stiching
Makeup artist course
Hairstyling course.

So these are some courses you can try.

Hope this answer will help you. Revert incase of any query.

Thank you and good luck:)

Read Complete Answer

Anushri Varshney

12 Jun'22

Hi my self Samarasimha Reddy, I am from Hyderabad I need clarity on that am I eligible to do ms in the USA after my BSc statistics? What are the requirements to get a software job in the USA?

Hello Samarasimha,

YES, you can MS in UA after completing Bsc in Statistics. . All you have to do is score good marks in your PG and prepare for GRE. You should also decide upon the country and the university in which you are going to study.

Furthermore, the requirements to pursue MS in USA are as follows :

3 to 4 years bachelors degree in relevant field.
3.5 or higher GPA, equivalent to 87% in bachelors.
GRE score of 330 or above.
Statement of Purpose.
Research Internships/ Published Research Papers.
Project work/Seminars.
2-3 Letter of Recommendation.
Social & Leadership Activities.

Further, requirements for Software jobs in USA are as follows :

Enroll in a software development program. The first step to becoming a software engineer is to enroll in a software development degree program. ...
Gain internship experience. ...
Choose your specialty. ...
Pursue industry certifications. ...
Continue your education.

I hope that this will help.

Read Complete Answer

Piyush kesarwani

13 May'22

Hi my self Priyanka i am from Hyderabad i need a clarity that can i do ms in us after my bsc statistics ? what are the requirements to get a software engineerg job in usa ? software Engineering in usa is my dream

Dear aspirant hope you are doing well..

To study at foreign universities/abroad in U. S , the admission process will require the candidate to give one language exam and one standardized exam. However, depending on the country, course, college, or university you are applying for you may be exempted from standardized exams. The language test will showcase your English proficiency skills. These exams are required for pursuing almost all courses abroad. Different countries have different language exams such as

TOEFL exam for getting admission to the universities in the US and Canada. The score of this exam is valid for two years after the declaration of results
There are plenty of universities abroad where you can apply to do master-level course, MSc in statistics, MSc in Operation Research, and Applied Mathematics, MSc in Mathematical Modeling, etc are some of the Master level Course in Mathematics that are available abroad. Students who have completed their graduation or bachelor's degree in Mathematics can apply for these courses. Foreign universities like Uppsala University, Dublin City University, Oxford Brookes University, University of York, University of Liverpool, etc offer all the above-mentioned courses in mathematics.

Top university of The USA for master degree courses

John Carroll University
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Michigan State University
West Virginia University
Rhode Island College
University of Arkansas
Vanderbilt University
DePaul University
Delaware State University
Texas A&M University-Commerce
University of South Florida
California State University Northridge

You can get the detailed information about the process how to apply for MS in USA. read the given article. Link is given below

https://studyabroad.careers360.com/articles/how-apply-for-ms-in-usa/amp

Hope it's helpful for you..

Thank you

Read Complete Answer

AVINASH KUMAR

23 Feb'22

I am currently pursuing my first year Masters in Commerce at Mumbai University and am possible to complete in 2023. I would like to know which universry in US to pursue my PhD. Also would like to know which are the fields for commerce students to acquire PhD. Also like to know about the expense

There are many ways to choose your university such as fees, the ranking of the university, which state it is located and scholarships. My suggestion is to choose your research focus and write academic papers. In the US, PhD in Commerce admission into the university depends on what you want to study (your area of research) and your already completed research papers. You can begin your research by searching online for US universities offering PhD in Business Administration. One example is University of California Los Angeles (https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/degrees/phd-program/admissions#app-req) .

Read Complete Answer

Tabitha

8 Jan'22

I am Bawa from India.I am Bachelor in Hotel Mangement and catering technology Now I am on J1 visa in usa for 1 year.what to do next.Study in MBA or any Post graduate course is suitable for me

Hello Student

You are aBHM means Bachelor in Hotel Management so after doing BHM,to gain a bright future inthis trade you have to do MSc in Hotel Management,post graduation in Hospitality Management,Master degree in travel and tourism management,or MBA in hotel management,AFter doing post graduation in Hotel management or travel and tourism management will give you the best return in employment opportunity.

Hope this will help.