The number of international student arrivals in the U.S. dropped by nearly a fifth in August as American universities started the new academic year, according to federal data.
The dip is the latest sign of a hit to colleges’ international enrollment as the Trump administration ratchets up scrutiny of foreign students.
International visitors arriving to the U.S. on student visas declined 19% in August compared with the same month in 2024, according to the preliminary data released by the National Travel and Tourism Office. The numbers declined also in June and July but August is the summer month that typically sees the most international student arrivals — 313,138 this year.
As the federal government has clamped down on student visas, industry groups have warned of international enrollment declines that threaten school budgets and American colleges’ standing in the world. While the full extent of the change remains to be seen, the new data suggests a turnaround in international enrollment that had been rebounding in the U.S. from a decline worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 1.1 million international students were in the United States last year — a source of key revenue for tuition-driven colleges. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, and many pay full tuition.
Visa challenges and travel bans blocked some students
Many students who had plans to study in the U.S. could not enter the country because of difficulty lining up visas. In late May, the State Department paused the scheduling of visa interviews for foreign students, which resumed three weeks later with new rules for vetting visa applicants’ social media accounts.
The timing of the pause had “maximum possible impact” for visa issuances for the fall semester, said Clay Harmon, executive director of the Association of International Enrollment Management, a nonprofit membership association.
A travel ban and other restrictions for 19 countries the Trump administration announced in June created even more uncertainty for some students. Most of the countries included in the ban were located in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
The federal data shows those regions experienced the largest declines in international student arrivals this August, with drops of 33% from Africa, 17% from the Middle East and 24% from Asia — including a 45% decrease from India, the country that sends the most students to the U.S.
The data includes new as well as returning students, but some who were already in the U.S. avoided traveling outside the country this summer for fear of problems reentering.
Sara, a 2022 college graduate in Iran, was planning to come to the U.S. to accept a fully funded spot in the University of Iowa’s physical rehabilitation science Ph.D. program. Sara, who spoke on condition of partial anonymity out of fear of being targeted, had been trying for years to study in the U.S. and had to pass up offers from other programs that didn’t offer financial aid.
But not long after her admission this spring, the U.S. paused visa interviews. Then, the travel ban affecting Iran was announced.
Her graduate school admission was deferred to next year, but Sara said she has started applying to universities in Germany. She begun taking lessons in German — now her fourth language — several weeks ago to prepare.
Students have concerns about the political climate — and cost
Some international students and their families have been wary of the Trump administration’s wider crackdown on immigration. In the spring, the federal government stripped thousands of international students of their legal status, causing panic before the Trump administration reversed course. Trump also has called for colleges to reduce their dependence on foreign students and cap international enrollment.
Zeynep Bowlus, a higher education consultant in Istanbul, Turkey, said interest in U.S. universities among the families she works with had been declining over the last few years largely because of financial reasons and skepticism about the value of an American degree. Policy changes in the U.S. are adding to their concerns, she said.
“I try not to make it too dramatic, but at the same time, I tell them the reality of what’s going on and the potential hurdles that they may face,” Bowlus said.
Institutions in other countries have seized the opportunity to attract students who might be cooling on the U.S. Growing numbers of Chinese students have opted to stay in Asia, and international applications to universities in the United Kingdom have surged.
Elisabeth Marksteiner, a higher education consultant in Cambridge, England, said she will encourage families looking at American universities to approach the admissions process with more caution. A student visa has never been guaranteed, but it is especially important now for families to have a backup plan, she said.
“I think the presumption is that it’s all going to carry on as it was in the past,” Marksteiner said. “My presumption is, it isn’t.”
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