Foreign student enrollment at U.S. universities dropped 20% due to “restrictive government policies,” report says

Foreign student enrollment at U.S. universities is falling, and experts warn the decline could deepen as Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies continue to reshape the U.S. higher education system.A new report released Monday found that international student enrollment for the spring 2026 semester fell 20% compared with the same period last year. The study, conducted by international education groups including NAFSA, surveyed 149 U.S. colleges and universities.More than 60% of institutions reported a decrease in the number of foreign students in both undergraduate and graduate programs. Graduate enrollment has been hit even harder, with colleges reporting an average decline of 24%.The numbers alarm educators, who worry that the United States is becoming a less welcoming destination for overseas students under Trump’s increasingly restrictive immigration agenda.The number of international students arriving in the United States in August has dropped 19% from last year, including returning students. Last fall, the overall number of international students fell by 1.4%, the first decline in three years. The number of new foreign students enrolling in fall 2025 fell by 17%.Analysts believe the latest data could foreshadow a deeper recession ahead, as many currently enrolled students had already applied before the Trump administration rolled out several tough policies.Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at the University of Oxford and founding director of the Center for Global Higher Education, said: “As long as governments behave as if they are in a world of enemies, student numbers will be severely affected.”The report found that 84% of U.S. colleges blamed “restrictive government policies” for enrollment declines.Since returning to office for a second term, Trump has expanded travel bans affecting more than a dozen countries, tightened student visa rules and stepped up scrutiny of foreign applicants, especially Chinese students. The government also took aggressive deportation measures, including detaining some international students and revoking thousands of student visas, many of which were subsequently reinstated.“The government’s hostility to foreign students, arrests of students on the streets, and forcible expulsions of students in the database for minor misdemeanors such as parking fines have profoundly affected perceptions in the international market,” Markinson said.“Even in a friendlier climate, it would take years to correct that impression, and today’s climate is not friendlier.”Universities are now beginning to feel the financial pressure. International students typically pay full tuition, making them a major source of revenue for many institutions.NAFSA estimates that a 17% drop in freshman foreign student enrollment in fall 2025 alone could cost universities more than $1 billion in lost revenue. California, Massachusetts and New York are expected to take the biggest economic hit.Some universities have begun cutting costs. DePaul University in Chicago has reportedly implemented a hiring freeze, executive pay cuts and spending restrictions after international enrollment dropped 30%. Other institutions, including the University of Southern California and Northwestern University, have also cut budgets and laid off staff amid broader financial pressures.Beyond the financial aspects, the United States may suffer academically as highly qualified foreign students increasingly choose colleges elsewhere.The US, UK, Canada and Australia have long dominated the international education market, but Asian universities are now making headway. The report found that 82% of institutions in the Asia-Pacific region experienced growth in undergraduate international enrollment, while nearly half of European institutions also experienced growth.In recent years, the number of Chinese students in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and South Korea has continued to increase.China itself is becoming a stronger global education hub, thanks to lower tuition fees, growing investment in research and scholarship programs for Asian and African students.