The United States is losing popularity among foreign students as a preferred study abroad location. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, both international student totals and new enrollments declined in Fall 2025, ending four consecutive years of steady growth.
According to research undertaken by the Association of Foreign Educators, NAFSA, and JB International, new foreign student enrollment has decreased by 17% for the Fall 2025 session. Most US institutions begin their Fall 2025 classes in late August or early September.
What is equally noticeable is that in Fall 2025, U.S. colleges and universities reported a 1% decline in international student totals, which includes both students enrolled in classes and those on Optional Practical Training (OPT).
The Trump administration’s stricter regulations and immigration policies seem to have resulted in a decline in the number of international students selecting America as their primary study destination. The study notes that this translates into over $1.1 billion of lost revenue and nearly 23,000 fewer jobs.
U.S. colleges and universities reported a decline in new enrollments due to many issues, including visa application worries, and travel restrictions. Many institutions reported that visa delays due to extended wait periods or the temporary pause in visa issuance hampered students’ ability to get visas.
In fall 2025, graduate student enrollments among reporting institutions decreased by 12%, continuing a 3% decline noted in Open Doors 2025. There is a 7 percent decline in total enrollment minus students on Optional Practical Training (OPT).
The 2024-25 academic year showed a similar trend in US education. According to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, the leading annual benchmark for international educational exchange in the United States, in the 2024–2025 academic year, 1,177,766 international students studied at U.S. higher education institutions. This is a 5% increase from the previous academic year.
However, the number of new international students enrolling at a U.S. college or university for the first time decreased by 7% to 277,118 in 2024–2025.
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
The number of students staying in the United States to gain practical work experience after graduation on OPT grew by 21% to 294,253 students in 2024-25, according to Open Doors. The Fall 2025 Snapshot signals a continued increase in OPT of 14%.
U.S. institutions note multiple benefits of OPT to the United States. More than three-quarters of institutions (76%) emphasize the role of OPT in both attracting international students to study in the United States and the resulting economic benefits to U.S. businesses.
92% of U.S. institutions report that without OPT, international students would likely choose other countries for their education. Institutions cite that this work experience is highly attractive to international students and serves as a valuable complement to their academic studies.