UNT cuts programs amid dropping international enrollment

The University of North Texas will phase out several of its programs to address a $45 million deficit projected for this fiscal year.

Why it matters: The Trump administration's immigration crackdown has fueled a decline in international student enrollment at some U.S. universities, substantially lowering revenue at institutions such as UNT and UT Arlington.

Context: UNT says a sharp decline in international graduate student enrollment and a $32 million decrease in state funding for instruction and operations are driving the university's $45 million deficit.

• The university didn't specify how many fewer international students are enrolled, but according to the Independent Institute of Education, UNT was among the Texas universities with the highest international student enrollment in 2024.

The latest: To save money, the university will merge its linguistics department with its world languages, literatures and cultures department in September, UNT president Harrison Keller said in an email last week to faculty and staff.

• UNT also plans to phase out four master's programs, two undergraduate majors, 25 undergraduate minors and dozens of certificates.
• Students already enrolled in the cut programs will be able to complete their degree, but new students will not be able to enroll in them.

Zoom in: The four master's programs being cut are linguistics, women and gender studies, early childhood education and media industry and critical studies.

• Latino and Latin American studies, and linguistics are the undergraduate degrees being cut.

Follow the money: Like many public universities, UNT's budget relies heavily on tuition revenue and state funding.

• UNT's international students pay over $21,000 in tuition and fees. Meanwhile, undergraduate U.S. residents pay around $12,100.

What they're saying: "These decisions are not made lightly. Every academic program reflects years of dedication, scholarship and care," Keller's email says.