Spending & Earning
International Student Enrollment Drops After Trump’s Visa Overhaul
Early figures for the fall semester show that fewer foreign students are coming to US colleges.
Harvard University students wearing graduation gowns walk through Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Photographer: Mel Musto/BloombergNew international student enrollment in the US declined this fall, according to Open Doors data from the Institute of International Education.
The number of foreign students starting college for the first time decreased 17% this semester, after President Donald Trump’s administration began its crackdown on foreign student visas. That followed a 7% decline in the 2024-25 school year, as fewer Chinese students came to the US, due in part to geopolitical tensions.