International student enrollment rates at American colleges and universities fell sharply this year, driven by visa application issues as prospective students are caught up in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
New international student enrollment in U.S. institutions declined by 17% in fall 2025, the largest nonpandemic decline in the last 11 years, according to new data released Monday by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that works to encourage foreign study. This figure, from a preliminary report covering a portion of the institutions, comes on the heels of a 7% drop in new international enrollees in the 2024-25 academic year.
More than half of the 825 U.S. higher education institutions surveyed in the fall 2025 snapshot reported a decrease in new international enrollment, according to the IIE’s Open Doors report.
“The U.S. is no longer the central place that students aspire to come to,” said Fanta Aw, CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a nonprofit group. Aw attributed the decline to difficulties in obtaining a U.S. visa, saying the issues have made the U.S. “less competitive” on the global stage.
According to the IIE report, 96% of higher education institutions cited visa application concerns as an obstacle for enrollment.
Visa issues preceded President Donald Trump, as Aw attributed some of the 7% dip in the 2024-25 academic year to high visa denial rates from places like India and sub-Sarahan Africa. However, the Trump administration paused new student visa interviews in May, creating long application backlogs.
This enrollment decline carries deep economic consequences, with a NAFSA report, also published Monday, estimating a $1.1 billion loss to the U.S. economy due to fewer international students. According to NAFSA, international students contributed nearly $43 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 355,000 jobs in the 2024-25 academic year.
International students not only contribute through tuition fees, but also lift local economies through buying services and products, renting apartments, purchasing health insurance, and bringing international visitors, Aw said. NAFSA estimates that for every three international students, one U.S. job is created or supported.
