New international student enrollment plummeted 17% at U.S. colleges and universities this fall, a report by the Institute of International Education has revealed.
The report comes after the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration extended to international students, leaving colleges across the nation concerned about the impact on enrollment. Since March, the U.S. State Department has revoked more than 6,000 international student visas, a department official told news outlets over the summer. The Trump administration has also directed diplomats to expand the screening process for student visa applicants by combing through their social media, which applicants are now required to make public for security checks.
In the Fall 2025 Snapshot on International Student Enrollment released Monday, 57% of the 828 U.S. colleges and universities surveyed reported a decrease in new international student enrollment at their institution, while 29% reported an increase.
The report was conducted by 10 higher education associations and the Institute of International Education, a global nonprofit that advises and advocates for international students. The nonprofit’s annual snapshot report is part of a larger data project on international education which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and receives funding from the federal government.
According to the report, the total number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities remained largely unchanged for fall 2025, with a 1% decline. But the change marked the the first year of declines after four years of consistent growth following the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report also found the number of international students pursuing undergraduate studies increased by 2% while graduate student enrollment decreased by 12%, although the nonprofit noted the decline follows a surge in “pent-up demand for graduate education” after the pandemic and graduate student enrollment remains above pre-pandemic levels. But universities across the nation have also reduced the number of new graduate student positions available as they shift existing money to support current students amid federal funding cuts.
The total number of international students pursuing non-degree study — including certificates, exchange programs or English-language intensives — also declined 17%, although non-degree students make up a small percentage of all international students — about 3%.
Schools that noted a decline in new international student enrollment cited several reasons, including the visa application process, U.S. travel restrictions, the social and political environment in the nation and foreign students feeling unwelcome.
The report found that the highest levels of new student enrollment stability or increases were found in student populations coming from the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico, while new student enrollment from China and South Korea also remained stable or increased for fall 2025. But only 39% of schools noted increased or stable enrollment numbers for students coming from India — a decline the report noted was likely driving the overall national decline in new enrollment.
The data comes as the Trump administration rolled out a change to the H-1B international work visa policy in September, which added a $100,000 fee for new applications meant to be paid by employers. The administration said foreign citizens already in the U.S., including students, would be exempt from the fee, although some 600,000 foreign workers in the U.S. hold the visa, including large numbers in the Bay Area, and more than 70% of H-1B visas were granted to workers from India, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The report also found that nearly all of the surveyed institutions — 95% — reported providing extra
support for international students as of the fall, including guidance on maintaining visa status, expanding communication, offering one-on-one advising and including town halls and workshops.
Schools also reported providing admitted international students extra flexibility, with 72% offering students deferrals to spring 2026 and 56% providing deferrals to fall 2026 — an increase of 39% in deferrals compared to last year. And 37% of schools reported allowing students to begin online for the first term or providing a delayed start for the fall term for additional enrollment flexibility.
In California, while schools’ fall enrollment data likely won’t be finalized until December or January, preliminary data from the University of California revealed a record number of admitted students, including a 17% increase in admitted international students.
California also leads a multistate coalition in opposition to proposed federal changes that would restrict international student visas to a fixed four-year period and limit students’ ability to change schools or programs. The state said in October that the proposal will have an extreme impact on California especially, as the state welcomes more international students than any other state in the country — 140,858 for the 2023-24 academic year, according to the nonprofit international education association NAFSA: Association of International Educators.