Overview

• Preliminary federal arrival records show 313,138 student entries in August, down 19% year over year and the steepest non‑pandemic decline on record.
• Asia registered a nearly 24% fall in arrivals, with India down about 44–45% and China down roughly 12%; Africa fell about 32–33%, the Middle East 17%, and Europe was largely flat.
• Analysts tie the drop to 2025 policy actions including a three‑week pause in student visa interview scheduling in late May, new social‑media checks, and travel restrictions affecting 19 countries.
• Universities and sector groups warn of tuition shortfalls and staffing strains in STEM teaching and research, with NAFSA estimating up to about $7 billion in local economic losses and more than 60,000 jobs at risk.
• Some students shifted plans toward the UK, Canada, Australia and Germany, while DHS SEVIS figures showing a slight enrollment uptick drew criticism from experts as inconsistent with arrival data.