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International Enrollment in U.S. Climbs to 1.18 Million as New Student Intake Slumps

Visa-policy disruptions are weighing on Fall 2025 newcomers despite a higher overall headcount.

Overview

  • The Open Doors 2025 report counts 1,177,766 international students in 2024–25, a 4.5% increase from the prior year.
  • Mathematics and computer science lead with 305,377 students, accounting for more than a quarter of international enrollments.
  • Indian students remain the largest cohort at 363,019, even as enrollments from India and China each declined about 17% year over year.
  • An IIE Fall 2025 snapshot finds new international students down 17%, graduate enrollments down 12%, undergraduate numbers up 2%, and overall headcount down 1% across reporting campuses.
  • Colleges cite visa-related delays as key headwinds, with reported interview pauses, social-media vetting, and some visa revocations, while F‑1 visas issued to Indian students fell 33.2% in FY 2024.