The shift in the number of international students enrolling in the United States wasn’t anything near drastic despite the Donald Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown.
According to a report released by the Institute of International Education on Monday, the number of international students on US college campuses remained nearly the same this fall as compared to last year. The drop was as low as about 1% from the previous academic year. The survey’s observations offer an early insight into the trends before full data is published in 2026.
Decline in first-time international student enrollments at US universities
On the contrary, the number of foreign students comin to American institutions for the first time fell by 17% this fall, accounting for the steepest dip since the COVID-19 pandemic. The data further suggested that 57% of about 825 universities sharing their numbers with the institute reported decline in new enrollments from international students.
Nearly all of these higher education schools reporting decreases attributed these dropping numbers to the uncertainty surrounding the issuance of student visas. On the other hand, over two-thirds said travel restrictions contributed to the fewer enrollments.
However, not all data was marked in red. The institute’s new survey pointed towards a rise in new undergraduate students. On the flip side, a 12% drop in new graduate students was highlighted.
Graduate students make for the biggest group of foreign students in the country, and they often pursue science, math and business programs, according to the Associated Press.
International students and their crucial position in the US
Foreign students, who make up about 6% of US college students, make hefty contributions to the country’s economy. These numbers correspond to the country’s 1.2 million international students, according to the New York Times.
The majority adds to the pool of higher tuition rates without financial aid. They notably occupy far more seats in elite colleges, constituting for about a quarter or more of the whole student body.
Of these, the biggest groups of international students come from India and China. Nearly 629,000 students came to America from the two biggest sources combined last year, as per the report.
As opposed to the numbers reflected in the Monday survey, a new report by the popular US college application system Common App showed that international students applications (as of November 1) fell by 9% compared to last year. Bloomberg further indicated that the biggest slump came from India, as applications from the South Asian country dropped by 14%. This marked the nation’s first dip since 2020.
The Trump government has long asserted its intentions to the clamp down on the country’s reliance on international students. In some countries, visa processing and issuances have hit a major snag. India, which remains the largest source of US foreign students, is one such nation facing these delays.