Particle.news
Download on the App Store
32 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

New International Student Enrollments in U.S. Fall 17%, IIE Survey Finds

Colleges say visa delays and new restrictions are driving the drop.

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

  • The 17% slide in new international students is the largest nonpandemic single-year decline in 11 years, while overall international enrollment dipped about 1%.
  • Graduate enrollment fell 12% as undergraduate numbers rose 2%, and participation in Optional Practical Training increased 14%, according to the fall snapshot of roughly 825 institutions.
  • Fifty-seven percent of responding colleges reported declines; 96% cited visa application problems and 68% pointed to travel restrictions, following measures such as a pause in visa interviews and expanded vetting.
  • NAFSA estimates the drop in new arrivals translates to more than $1.1 billion in lost revenue and nearly 23,000 fewer U.S. jobs.
  • India remains the top source of international students, and many colleges reported the sharpest new-enrollment declines from India, while institutions are offering flexibility with deferrals into spring and fall 2026.