U.S. Universities Launch Overseas Campuses To Beat Visa Hurdles
'Illinois Tech was founded to democratize access to technology and innovation to all,' said Raj Echambadi, the university's president, in the announcement. 'Our new campus in India represents a profound opportunity to continue that noble mission in service of millions of talented young people across India, empowering them to become global leaders ready to make a difference.'
Establishing university branch campuses overseas are costly endeavors and require a long-term outlook in terms of recouping investment. But as international students studying in the U.S. face increasing challenges due to the volatile immigration policies of the Trump administration, awarding U.S. diplomas offshore can be seen as a way to circumvent potential visa obstacles.
The U.S. is the world's top study destination, hosting a record-high 1.12 million international students who contribute over $50 billion to the economy. Of that total, Indian students numbered 331,602, the largest single-country cohort, surpassing those from China for the first time since 2009. One of the reasons why U.S. universities are interested in recruiting students from India is the country's significant youth population, with people under the age of 25 making up around half the total population of 1.43 billion.
However, the ability to the U.S. to continue to attract large numbers of students from overseas is currently being tested. After a round of international student visa revocations by the Trump administration followed by moves to restore the visas, university administrators fear that confidence in the U.S. as a study destination has been eroded. Already there are indications that international student interest in the U.S.—as well as in other Anglophone study destinations experiencing tightening visa regimes—is falling.
Other U.S. universities are deepening ties with India. In November last year, Purdue University announced a partnership that would include the development of new centers for education and semiconductor excellence in India. According to the announcement, these moves 'will establish a presence for Purdue University in India, laying the groundwork for joint degree programs in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, semiconductors, and business.'
According to education news outlet The PIE, Johns Hopkins University is discussing the possibility of establishing a branch campus in India. The prominent research university already operates campuses in Italy and China.
U.K. universities are also setting up branch campuses in India, with the University of Southampton opening a campus in a satellite city of Delhi while Queens University Belfast (QUB) will establish a campus in GIFT City, a business and tech hub. According to The Guardian newspaper, QUB estimates that building the branch campus will cost £5 million to £7 million, or approximately $6.25 million to $8.75 million.
The Illinois Tech development follows announcements made by several other U.S. universities actively expanding their global footprint in a similar manner. In January, Georgetown University launched a new Georgetown SFS Asia Pacific program at a new 'facility' in Jakarta, Indonesia while in April, the University of New Haven announced plans to open a campus in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, by fall 2026. At that campus, teaching will take place through three colleges, and would grow to host 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
'The University of New Haven is proud to have been an active supporter of higher education in Saudi Arabia for over twenty years, both within the Kingdom and on our Connecticut campus,' said University of New Haven President Jens Frederiksen, Ph.D., in the announcement.
New York University is considered a trailblazer in creating overseas locales, having established a global network of campuses including degree-granting locales in Abu Dhabi, which welcomed its inaugural class in 2010, and one in Shanghai in partnership with East China Normal University, which opened a few years later.
Beyond NYU, other American universities have also ventured into establishing international campuses, including Georgetown, Northwestern University and Carnegie Mellon University which all operate campuses in Qatar, and Stony Brook University which has a campus in South Korea.
However, there's potential for disruption in establishing these overseas outposts. In a May 14 letter, House committee leaders urged Duke University to end Duke Kunshan University, a joint campus with Wuhan University in China, over national security concerns. Duke Kunshan was established in September 2013 and welcomed its inaugural class of undergraduates in 2018. In fall 2024, it enrolled a record-high class of nearly 500 students, expanding total enrollment to more than 2,200 students.
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