International student enrollment dips in U.S., report says
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
American universities enrolled fewer international students this fall, the first full academic year under President Trump's second term.
Why it matters: The Trump administration upended the spring semester for international students nationwide, raising questions about international student enrollment this autumn.
- Students faced abrupt visa terminations, legal fights over their academic futures and, in some cases, arrest and detention by immigration agents over political speech.
By the numbers: A survey of 825 U.S. higher education institutions showed a 17% drop in international students matriculating in the fall for the first time, according to a snapshot by the Institute of International Education.
- Overall enrollment among international students fell 1%: undergraduate enrollment actually increased 2%, but graduate enrollment fell 11%.
Yes, but: Colleges continue to recruit international students.
- The vast majority of surveyed schools said they value international students' perspectives on campus and their financial contributions.
Flashback: Massachusetts had more than 84,000 international students on its campuses last academic year, spending an estimated $3.55 billion, per a separate dataset by IIE.
- The majority of them came from India, followed by China, Canada, South Korea and Vietnam.
- The leading institutions hosting them were Northeastern University, Boston University, Harvard University, MIT and UMass Amherst.
Zoom in: Northeastern University enrolled 25,042 international students this fall — 538 fewer than it did in fall 2024.
- That includes graduates who have a year of work related to their field of study left.
- MIT enrolled 3,475 international students this fall, with undergraduate numbers remaining level and graduate student numbers up by 20 from last year.
- Harvard University's international student enrollment remains unclear. Jason Newton, a Harvard spokesperson, said the university won't release its university-wide enrollment data until early 2026.
- Boston University and UMass Amherst didn't respond to inquiries from Axios.
What we're watching: International students have to decide whether they plan to visit family over winter break or stay on campus and avoid potential travel headaches before the spring semester.