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45m ago

New International Enrollment in U.S. Drops 17% in Fall 2025 as Visa Hurdles Mount

Tighter visa policies are choking graduate pipelines, prompting widespread deferrals.

People walk on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on April 15, 2025.
Students at the University of Pennsylvania.
Image
TOPSHOT - People hold up signs during the Harvard Students for Freedom rally in support of international students at the Harvard University campus in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 27, 2025. Harvard students protested Tuesday after the US government said it intends to cancel all remaining financial contracts with the university, President Donald Trump's latest attempt to force the prestigious institution to submit to unprecedented oversight. (Photo by Rick Friedman / AFP) (Photo by RICK FRIEDMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • IIE’s Fall 2025 snapshot of 825 institutions shows more than half reported declines in new international students, with 96% citing visa application problems and 68% pointing to travel restrictions.
  • Current-term patterns diverge by level, with undergraduate international enrollment up 2%, graduate numbers down 12%, and participation in Optional Practical Training up 14%.
  • The drop follows federal actions reported this year, including a pause in visa interviews, heightened screening, thousands of student visa revocations, and proposals to limit visa duration.
  • NAFSA estimates the fall decline translates to roughly $1.1 billion in lost revenue and about 23,000 fewer U.S. jobs, even as international students contributed nearly $55 billion to the economy in 2024.
  • India remained the largest source country in 2024–25 with 363,019 students as China fell to 265,919, and many colleges are offering deferrals to spring 2026 (72%) and fall 2026 (56%).