New international student enrollment at American colleges and universities plunged 17% in fall 2025—the steepest non-pandemic drop in over a decade—as visa restrictions and the Trump administration's immigration enforcement drive prospective students to pursue education elsewhere, according to data released Monday by the Institute of International Education.
IIE
"The U.S. is no longer the central place that students aspire to come to," said Dr. Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Aw attributed the decline to difficulties in obtaining U.S. visas, adding that the issues have made the U.S. "less competitive" on the global stage.
The enrollment crisis has emerged as international students navigate an increasingly restrictive environment during President Donald Trump's second term. Foreign-born students have faced visa terminations, intensified screenings, and in some cases, detentions related to pro-Palestinian speech—an enforcement approach a Boston judge ruled unconstitutional.
According to the IIE report, 96% of higher education institutions cited visa application concerns as an obstacle for enrollment. While nearly 57% of universities reported decreases in new international students this fall, 29% saw increases and others held steady.
The total number of international students on university campuses nationwide decreased by 1% from the last academic year, a figure that includes students who enrolled in previous years.
The economic implications are substantial. A study released Monday by NAFSA: Association of International Educators estimates that the plummeting enrollment rate translates to over $1.1 billion in lost revenue and nearly 23,000 fewer jobs nationwide.
