How international student enrollment is holding up in Florida amid national declines
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American universities enrolled fewer international students this fall, the first full academic year under President Trump's second term.
- But some Florida schools are bucking that trend.
Why it matters: The Trump administration upended the spring semester for international students nationwide, raising questions about 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 as well as their financial contributions.
By the numbers: Florida enrolled 46,720 international students on its campuses last academic year, spending an estimated $1.5 billion, per a separate dataset by IIE.
- The majority of them came from India, followed by China, Brazil, Colombia and Vietnam.
- The leading institutions hosting them were the University of South Florida, the University of Florida, Florida International University, the University of Central Florida and Florida State University.
Zoom in: USF enrolled 4,756 international students this fall, down from 5,401 in Fall 2024, according to online university databases.
- UCF enrolled a total of 3,402 international students this fall, an increase from the 3,201 enrolled in Fall 2024, a spokesperson tells Axios.
- FSU enrolled 2,389 international students this fall, up from 2,223 in Fall 2024, according to a spokesperson.
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.