Fewer Foreign Applicants to U.S. Colleges After Visa Crackdown

(UNITED STATES) International student arrivals at U.S. colleges have fallen after the Trump administration tightened visa rules in 2025, with new enrollment down 17% in fall 2025 from a year earlier, according to fall snapshot data in the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors report released in November. The overall number of international students on U.S. campuses slipped only 1% since fall 2024, but the drop in new students has alarmed universities that depend on foreign tuition revenue and on graduate researchers who fill labs and teaching roles.

Key enrollment shifts and who was affected

The Open Doors snapshot is based on responses from 825 U.S.-based higher learning institutions that together host more than half of all international students in the country. The data show the decline is not evenly distributed across levels and programs.

• Graduate enrollment fell 12% in fall 2025, continuing a slide that began before the 2025 policy changes.
• During the 2024–25 academic year, new graduate enrollment fell 15%, while new undergraduate enrollment rose 5%.
• By fall 2025, undergraduate numbers showed a 2% increase, and students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) rose 14%.

Universities note that this mix matters: OPT students often live off campus and work, which can mean less campus spending on tuition, housing, and meal plans compared with first-year students who typically buy campus services. In the 2024–25 academic year, Open Doors counted 1.2 million total international students studying in the United States, and graduate students made up roughly 40% of that total—students who often bring spouses and children, rent larger apartments, and pay higher fees in specialized programs.

Why institutions say the drop happened

Among the institutions surveyed:

• 57% reported a decline in new international enrollment.
• When asked what drove it, 96% cited visa concerns, and 68% pointed to travel restrictions.

Those responses reflect disruptions during the months when students typically complete paperwork, book flights, and arrive for fall orientation: many families abroad received a clear message—even if admitted by a U.S. school, you might not arrive on time.

Disruptions to visa processing

One of the most disruptive stretches came during the period when consulates normally ramp up fall processing. Between May 27 and June 18, 2025, student visa interviews were paused during the peak issuance season for fall enrollment.

State Department issuance data showed declines before that pause:

• F-1 visa issuance fell 12% from January to April 2025.
• F-1 issuance fell 22% in May 2025 compared with May 2024.
• June 2025 data suggested F-1 issuance could be down 80–90% as a result of the disruptions, according to the source material.

Even after interviews resumed, appointment slots were reportedly scarce. Colleges cited limited or no appointments at consulates in India, China, Nigeria, and Japan—countries that are among the top sources of international students.

Campus-level impacts and institutional responses

Examples of campus-level changes:

• UMass Boston: first-year international enrollment fell 17%, matching the national snapshot.
• Brandeis University: international students were 12% of the incoming class, down from 17% the year before.
• Boston University: 10% drop in graduate international students; undergraduate numbers steady.
• Georgetown University: reported sharp declines in certain programs, citing visa and immigration barriers.

Graduate programs were especially vulnerable because they rely on long-term research planning and funding (assistantships, lab projects) that can’t be replaced quickly if a cohort doesn’t arrive.

More selective institutions with deep waitlists had an advantage:

• Harvard and MIT were able to backfill undergraduate seats from waitlists when international admits could not make it.
• Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government announced a contingency with the University of Toronto in case students could not obtain U.S. visas—though most students ultimately arrived without issue.

Policy signals, rhetoric, and their effects

Policy announcements and public rhetoric increased uncertainty:

• A June 4, 2025 executive order imposed visa bans targeting 19 countries, with reports that another 36 might be added.
• In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to “aggressively revoke” Chinese students’ visas, including those “with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.”

Such language heightens risk perception for families. Visa revocation not only forces sudden departures, it can also mean the loss of tuition and disrupted academic plans—turning a four-year study decision into a high-stakes gamble.

“There is a sense that international students are not unambiguously welcome in the United States. And I think that is a significant change in the mood for higher education.”

— Gerardo Blanco, director of Boston College’s Center for International Higher Education

“There’s the visa effect, but there’s also the threat of visa effect. Given the threats that higher education faces in this country, if I lived abroad, I’m not sure I’d send my child to a school in the United States.”

— Arthur Levine, President, Brandeis University

Economic ripple effects

Projected economic impacts (preliminary modeling by NAFSA and JB International, using SEVIS and State Department data):

• A 30–40% decline in new international student enrollment could mean a loss of $7 billion to the U.S. economy and 60,000 jobs.
• Visa bans alone could threaten $3 billion in annual contributions and more than 25,000 American jobs.

These are scenario projections—not final counts—but they illustrate why institutions and local economies track each missed international student.

How some campuses adapted

Among the 29% of institutions reporting increases in new international enrollment:

• 71% credited active recruitment.
• 54% said targeted outreach to admitted students helped.

Tactics included:

• More frequent communication with families worried about visas.
• Letters supporting expedited appointment requests.
• Flexibility on arrival dates and course formats.

However, these measures can only go so far: students must be able to secure a visa interview and clear security checks with enough time to travel.

Official guidance for applicants

The State Department’s student visa page explains F-1 visa application steps and what consular officers consider (proof of funds, ties abroad, etc.). It remains the recommended starting point for applicants uncertain about current rules:

U.S. student visa information

Analysis by VisaVerge.com highlights how pauses, bans, and public threats in 2025 created ripple effects: once students decide a U.S. arrival is unpredictable, many commit to other countries.

Longer-term significance

The Open Doors data highlight a recurring tension: the United States can remain the world’s top destination for study while still losing ground at the margin when policy changes raise the risk of delay or denial.

• India surpassed China for the second year in a row as the leading country of origin for international students, though those figures predate the most aggressive 2025 actions described.
• For colleges watching deposits come in late, labs short on researchers, and admitted students defer or disappear, the decline in new enrollment is more than a statistic—it is a break in the pipeline that sustains programs year after year.

Table — Selected headline metrics from the Open Doors snapshot

If you want, I can convert these findings into a one-page executive summary, a slide-ready set of key charts, or a short FAQ for international applicants explaining next steps and timelines. Which would be most useful?