New report links drop in international freshmen to visa scrutiny
NEW YORK (Reuters) — The number of newly enrolled international students at U.S. colleges and universities declined by 17% this autumn, according to a report released Monday by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The decline follows tighter student visa rules and other immigration policies implemented under the Trump administration, the report found.
The IIE surveyed 825 U.S. higher education institutions. Among schools reporting declines in new international enrollment, 96% identified concerns about the visa application process as a factor and 68% pointed to travel restrictions. Many institutions also cited long consular wait times and a temporary pause in visa issuance earlier this year as key disruptions that prevented students from arriving in time for the fall term.
Key finding: Visa delays, denials and changes to consular screening were the most-cited reasons for the falloff in new international students.
The administration has increased scrutiny of legal immigration and introduced measures affecting international students, including efforts aimed at limiting enrollments. The U.S. State Department has authorized consular officers to request public access to applicants' social media as part of screening, while some student visas have been revoked and others have faced delays.
Industry estimates from NAFSA: Association of International Educators put the total number of international students in the U.S. at about 1.2 million for the 2024–25 academic year. According to Bureau of Economic Analysis figures, international students contributed roughly $55 billion to the U.S. economy in 2024. Because many international students are ineligible for federal financial aid and pay full tuition, they remain an important revenue source for colleges offsetting declining domestic enrollment, rising operating costs and cuts to public funding.
In the IIE survey, 29% of institutions reported increases in new international enrollment, 14% said numbers were unchanged, and 57% recorded decreases. The majority of institutions reported declines among students from India — the largest source country for U.S. international students — which the report said is likely a major driver of the national decline.
Reporting by Helen Coster in New York; editing by Frank McGurty and Bill Berkrot.
