A Reddit post by a 26-year-old American woman has sparked widespread discussion online regarding the increasing number of Indian students enrolling in U.S. computer science master’s programs.

The woman expressed surprise upon discovering that nearly 99% of the students in her program were Indian. She questioned if this trend was part of a "scam" designed to secure U.S. visas and job opportunities. The post, originally shared on the subreddit r/Indians_StudyAbroad, gained traction and quickly went viral on other platforms, including X (formerly known as Twitter).

November 14, 2024

In her post, she also raised concerns about the challenges faced by Indian students, many of whom, she claimed, were taking on significant debt without a guarantee of securing jobs in the U.S. "This feels like a scam that’s trapping Indian students. They come here, accumulate debt, and may not end up with the jobs they expect," she wrote, while also criticizing the quality of professors in these programs.

The post elicited mixed reactions from users. Some defended the large presence of Indian students, attributing it to the global prominence of Indian tech talent. Others speculated that the issue might stem from the woman attending a low-ranked university that caters to international students. "If 99% of your classmates are Indian, the institution might be targeting foreign students," one commenter observed.

Tech influencer Debarghya 'Deedy' Das also joined the discussion on X. He noted that while Indians pursuing computer science degrees in the U.S. isn’t a new phenomenon, the scale of applicants and their access to credit has significantly increased compared to 10-20 years ago. Das pointed out that the current job market in tech is particularly tough for fresh graduates.