U.S. President Donald Trump has tightened the criteria for international students coming to the United States, and universities that heavily relied on these students have been severely impacted. As of last year, the number of international students studying in the U.S. reached around 1 million, and American universities have depended financially on these students.
On the 20th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported, "Due to the federal government's stricter student visa reviews and President Trump's travel ban, the number of international students registering at U.S. universities is expected to drastically decline," adding, "universities are in a state of panic."
Since taking office, President Trump has implemented regulatory policies regarding international students, including arresting and detaining students participating in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses and issuing an executive order banning the entry of international students from Harvard University. Recently, the State Department announced that it had canceled 6,000 international student visas this year on the grounds of exceeding the allowed stay or violating laws.
As policies targeting international students continue, the enrollment rate of foreign students at U.S. universities has plummeted significantly. According to a survey conducted by the Institute of International Education (IIE) involving over 500 colleges and universities, the number of international student applicants last spring decreased by 35%. This marks the largest drop since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In particular, the aversion to American universities among students from India and China, who make up more than half of international students in the U.S., is intensifying. Analysis by the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors (NAFSA) found that the number of visa applications from Chinese and Indian students has been nearly nonexistent in recent months. NAFSA projects that if this trend continues, the new international student enrollment rate at U.S. universities could drop by 30-40%, potentially reducing the number of international students enrolling this fall semester to as low as 150,000.
A representative from Arizona State University, one of the top 10 universities with the highest international student enrollment, stated, "The number of new enrollments for the fall semester is a total of 14,600, which is about 500 fewer than last fall semester," adding, "This is mainly due to delays in visa issuance."
The NYT reported, "Some students have abandoned their plans to attend U.S. universities altogether out of anxiety about the political situation in the U.S.," while adding, "Other students are reluctant to travel to the U.S. out of concerns that even if they do enroll, they will effectively face restrictions that prevent them from applying for internships or returning home to see their families during breaks."
Universities point out that the decline in international students causes more significant harm beyond mere financial losses. Wendy Wolford, Vice Provost for International Relations at Cornell University, noted that the biggest loss from the decline in international student enrollment is 'talent,' stating, "Domestic students will miss opportunities to interact with students from other cultures, and international students will lose opportunities to spread positive perceptions about the U.S. upon returning home."