These states have the most international college students
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California, New York and Texas have the greatest shares of the approximately 1.1 million international college students nationwide, per data from NAFSA, an international education nonprofit.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and revoking visas for Chinese students amid a political pressure campaign against colleges and universities and a broader immigration crackdown.
- A big drop in international students could hurt college town economies, some of which are already struggling due to lower enrollment.
By the numbers: Of all international students studying in the U.S. during the 2023-24 school year, about 12.5% were doing so at schools in California, 12.1% in New York and 8% in Texas.
- Massachusetts (7.3%) and Illinois (5.5%) round out the top five, per NAFSA's latest report.
The big picture: The student visa pause comes as the Trump administration has been criticizing U.S. colleges and universities for failing to crack down on what it describes as heightened antisemitism as students protest Israel's actions in Gaza.
- The State Department is considering broader vetting of student visa applicants' social media posts.
- The revocation of Chinese students' visas in particular is tied to concerns that their government is using them "to steal intellectual property on Beijing's behalf," a State Department official told Axios' Marc Caputo.
The latest: A federal judge recently extended a temporary order blocking the Trump administration from revoking Harvard University's ability to host international students.
- After Columbia University, Harvard became the administration's main target, with ongoing battles over federal grants, student visas and more.
The other side: Detractors argue that making it harder for international students to come study in the U.S. harms the country's global image, and risks missing out on key talent in hot fields like artificial intelligence.
- Many AI startups have at least one immigrant founder, a recent analysis found.
- NAFSA says international students contribute $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
Go deeper: Foreign students consider fleeing Harvard after Trump threats, university says
