How international student enrollment is holding up in Philly-area universities amid national declines
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American universities enrolled fewer international college students this fall, the first full academic year under President Trump's second term. But some Philly-area schools are bucking that trend.
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.
Zoom out: 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 released Monday.
- 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.
The big picture: Pennsylvania had nearly 51,000 international students on its campuses last academic year, spending an estimated $2 billion, according to a separate dataset by IIE.
- The majority of them came from China and India, followed by South Korea, Canada, and Saudi Arabia.
- The leading institutions hosting them were Carnegie Mellon University, UPenn, Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh and Drexel University.
Zoom in: Villanova University enrolled 388 international students this fall, up more than a dozen students from last year.
- A university spokesperson declined to explain the university's strategy for retaining and recruiting international students.
What else: Penn's incoming freshman class this year was made up of 15% of students whose home address was outside the U.S., the same percentage as last year, per Penn's website.
- At La Salle University, international student enrollment remained flat this fall — up only a single student from 2024, per a school spokesperson.
- Representatives from Temple and Drexel did not respond to Axios' request for comment.
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.