Overview

• Overall international student arrivals to the United States fell about 19% year over year in August, marking the steepest non‑pandemic August drop on record, according to ITA data reported this week.
• Arrivals from Asia declined nearly 24%, with mainland China down about 12.4% to more than 86,000 students and India down roughly 44% to over 41,000.
• Asia accounted for about 60% of August student‑visa entries, yet the region posted the lowest August total outside the Covid years.
• Reporters and education groups link the downturn to visa interview delays, tighter vetting including expanded social‑media checks, new travel restrictions and heightened enforcement signals under President Trump.
• The August arrival series is widely used as a proxy for fall enrollment, though the figures are preliminary, exclude land entries from Mexico and visitors from Canada, and include returning students.