U.S. Universities See Stunning Drop in Foreign Student Enrollment After 3-Year Climb

While U.S. higher education has long been a magnet for international students, recent figures show a troubling reversal as international student enrollment fell by 1.4 percent in fall 2025, marking the first decline after three years of consistent growth. This drop represents approximately 5,000 fewer international students nationwide, with graduate programs bearing the brunt of these losses. The decline comes amid tightened visa restrictions and changing enrollment trends that have reshaped America's academic landscape.

The most dramatic shift occurred in graduate programs, where international enrollment plummeted by 5.9 percent - equivalent to nearly 10,000 fewer students. This continues a worrying pattern that began with a 15 percent decline in new graduate enrollment the previous year.

Meanwhile, undergraduate international enrollment bucked the trend with a 3.2 percent increase, adding about 5,000 students to U.S. campuses. This growth rate represents a significant deceleration from the 8.4 percent growth observed in the previous academic year.

You'll find that Trump administration policies have notably contributed to these changes. The State Department revoked 8,000 student visas by January 2026 and implemented new requirements for visa applicants to disclose their social media accounts.

F-1 visa issuance dropped 12 percent between January and April 2025, worsening to a 22 percent decline in May. A visa interview suspension lasting from May 27 to June 18, 2025, created additional backlogs that hampered student arrivals.

The impact varies across institutions. DePaul University reported 755 fewer foreign students than fall 2024, with new graduate international enrollment down by nearly 62 percent. Harvard, however, saw its foreign student percentage increase slightly to 28 percent.

Overall, 57 percent of responding colleges reported declines in new international enrollment.

When asked about causes, 96 percent of institutions cited visa concerns as the primary factor behind enrollment drops, while 68 percent pointed to travel restrictions. Appointment shortages plagued major sending countries like India, China, Nigeria, and Japan.

These trends carry considerable economic implications. International students typically pay full tuition, making them financially valuable to universities. Total postsecondary enrollments reached 19.4 million students nationwide, with international students representing an important revenue source for many institutions.

NAFSA projects that visa bans on 19 countries could cost the U.S. economy $3 billion annually and eliminate 25,000 jobs. Without visa processing recovery, up to 150,000 fewer international students might arrive on U.S. campuses.

Despite these challenges, some institutions are finding success through intensified recruitment efforts, with 29 percent reporting enrollment increases despite the national downturn.

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