Given rising H-1B uncertainty, should a student choose a US university like Purdue over a strong, lower-cost Indian institute?

Your decision here comes down to money and risk tolerance rather than prestige. If you can fund Purdue without a crushing loan, the US degree still opens doors that a lower-cost Indian institute cannot match, but if you would need heavy borrowing, an IIT, BITS or top NIT protects your finances against H-1B uncertainty.

Compare The Financial And Career Outlook

Questions To Answer Before You Decide

• Is your family funding this fully, or would you need a large education loan taken in rupees against a dollar salary that may not materialise.
• Undergraduate applicants enter the general H-1B pool, while a US master's later gets you into the smaller advanced degree pool with better odds, so a cheaper Indian bachelor's now can fund a stronger US master's later.
• Confirm your intended Purdue major carries STEM classification, since that alone determines whether you get one attempt at the lottery or three.

My Advice

If your family would need a large loan to send you to Purdue, choose the Indian institute now and redirect those savings toward a top US master's after a few years of work experience, since that path statistically gives you far better H-1B odds and far less financial exposure. If the money is truly no obstacle, Purdue's network and research exposure are still worth taking.