Universities see drops in international students
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American universities enrolled fewer international students this fall, the first full academic year under President Trump's second term. But UC San Diego accepted more first-year international students than it had in the previous 30 years, anticipating that fewer would enroll.
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, as well as their financial contributions.
Zoom in: UCSD is still finalizing enrollment data for fall 2025, but it had 8,134 international students (18.6% of the campus population) on campus last fall.
- Over the last five years, UCSD has seen a steady decline in undergraduate international students and an increase at the graduate level as California schools focused more on recruiting state residents.
San Diego State University's international enrollment shifted from 957 students in fall 2024 to 889 students in fall 2025, mostly from a drop in new students.
- SDSU has seen gradual fluctuations in international enrollment over the past several years, including patterns influenced by the pandemic, according to associate vice president for enrollment management Stefan Hyman.
Between the lines: SDSU projected an increase in new international students based on admissions activity, but many admitted students experienced unexpected delays and limited availability for visa appointments over the summer, which meant fewer could study here this fall, Hyman told Axios via email.
The big picture: California had about 140,000 international students on its campuses last academic year spending an estimated $6.25 billion, per a separate dataset by IIE. That's more than in any other state.
- University of Southern California, UC Berkley, UCLA, UCSD and UC Irvine were the top institutions in the state for international student enrollment.
- The majority of students are from China and India.