Overview

• Sector groups project 30%–40% fewer new international students this term and a roughly 15% overall decline, with NAFSA estimating a $7 billion economic hit and about 60,000 jobs at risk.
• The State Department reported about 6,000 student visa revocations this year, a three‑week pause in student visa processing in late May, and tighter screening including social‑media disclosure and more interviews, while DHS has proposed capping study at four years.
• Campus reports show double‑digit drops: University of Cincinnati’s international graduate enrollment fell 25% (India-origin students down about 33% overall), the University of Denver is down roughly 25%, and Colorado’s CU Boulder is down 14% for undergraduates and 8% for graduates, with CU Denver down 22%.
• Institutions such as the University at Buffalo and Missouri State report declines around 15%–16%, and some campuses forecast steeper cuts, including a 40% projected drop at the University of Texas at Arlington.
• Rival destinations are drawing students away, with Australia reporting a 12% rise in international higher‑education enrollments since 2019 and the U.K. logging a 32% year‑over‑year jump in Q1 student visa applications, as U.S. colleges offer deferrals and overseas starts to blunt shortfalls.