$120,000 Texas Job Offer Can’t Stop NRI Student from Choosing India Over U.S.

(INDIANA, UNITED STATES) — An Indian master’s student in Indiana said he wants to return to India after graduation, even though he has secured a $120,000 job offer in Austin, Texas, because he feels “too depressed” to keep living abroad.

He wrote on Reddit that he is carrying about $40,000 in education debt and is trying to decide how long he should remain in the United States to repay loans and save money before moving home. The post described loneliness in a foreign country as the main reason he wants to leave.

His dilemma turns on timing as much as emotion. A first job after a U.S. master’s degree often serves as the short bridge between student status and financial stability, and the choice to leave early can cut short the post-study work path many international graduates depend on.

International students on F-1 visas typically use Optional Practical Training, known as OPT, after graduation to begin working. That period usually lasts up to 12 months, or up to 36 months for STEM graduates who secure the extension.

Leaving before that window runs its course can end the chance to recover tuition costs in U.S. dollars, limit U.S. work experience, and narrow future visa options tied to employment. In practical terms, a graduate who walks away from that period also gives up the income that often makes overseas study financially workable.

His question, as described in the Reddit post, was not how to build a long career in the United States. It was how quickly he could earn enough to leave without worsening his debt burden.

A salary of $120,000 can look transformative on paper, especially when converted into rupees. Austin, though, carries its own bills, and the first year after graduation often brings fresh costs rather than instant relief.

Typical living expenses in Austin can run about $2,500–$3,500 a month for rent, a car, insurance, and basic needs. That means the raw salary figure does not translate directly into savings, even before taxes.

Under a frugal plan, commenters urged him to share housing, avoid large purchases, and focus on clearing the debt first. Their rough math pointed to a 1–2 year timeline to pay off $40,000, followed by a chance to save roughly $50,000–$100,000 over about three years if spending stayed tight.

Returning sooner would change that calculation. Loan repayment becomes harder once income shifts from dollars to rupees, and the gap between a U.S. salary and an India salary can stretch the timeline far beyond what many families expect when they finance graduate study.

Loneliness, cultural shock, and homesickness sit at the center of many such decisions. Research cited in the broader discussion around Indian students abroad places depression prevalence between 3.6% and 38.3%, while about 60–65% report high loneliness.

Financial strain adds another layer. Students who borrow heavily often carry not only debt but family expectations, job-market pressure, and the fear that returning too soon will make the degree look like a failed investment.

Those pressures can shape daily life long before graduation. Coursework, job hunting, visa deadlines, and constant comparison with classmates who appear to be coping better can turn a strong academic path into a private struggle.

Stigma also remains a barrier. Indian students often hesitate to seek help for depression or anxiety, and that reluctance can deepen isolation at the exact point when support from counselors, friends, or student groups would matter most.

University mental health services, peer networks, family contact, and Indian student associations often form the first line of support. Early intervention can make the difference between a difficult adjustment and a crisis that derails study, work, or both.

Many graduates who feel trapped by the choice between money and wellbeing do not treat the decision as permanent. A common pattern is to stay long enough to use the post-study work path, clear debt, build savings, and then reassess after 2–4 years.

That approach reflects a colder financial logic. A graduate who earns in dollars for even a short period can repay loans faster, reduce pressure on family members who helped fund the degree, and return to India with some savings rather than with unpaid debt.

Yet the emotional cost does not disappear because a spreadsheet improves. A person dealing with depression may find it hard to relocate again, start a demanding new job, adapt to a new city, and maintain the steady routine needed to keep that job.

Austin itself would require another reset. The move from student life in Indiana to full-time work in Texas would likely mean a new housing search, new social circles, and in many neighborhoods, dependence on a car.

Stories like this also expose how families often measure return on investment too narrowly. A U.S. degree can still help in India’s job market, but the calculation changes if the graduate stays abroad for a short period, spends heavily on rent and transport, or decides the emotional burden is too high to continue.

Consultants and social media success stories often fixate on the offer letter. The harder questions come later: how long the graduate can realistically stay, how much can be repaid after taxes and living costs, and whether the person can hold together emotionally while doing it.

That makes the post-study work path more than an immigration formality. It is the period many students rely on to turn a costly degree into something manageable, and cutting it short can leave both finances and future plans unfinished.

The Indiana student’s account has drawn attention because it captures a familiar contradiction in overseas education. A six-figure offer can look like success from a distance, while the person holding it weighs debt, depression, and the pull of home more heavily than the salary itself.

His post did not describe a final decision. What it did show, with unusual bluntness, was how a $120,000 job offer, a fragile post-study work path, and the strain of depression can collide in the same life, leaving the promise of study abroad far less linear than families often imagine.