Colleges say foreign students feel 'unwelcome' in the U.S. amid big drop in international enrollment, new survey finds

The number of new foreign students enrolling at American colleges fell sharply this year as universities dealt with the fallout from the Trump administration’s efforts to curb international education and its broader crackdown on immigration, according to a new survey released on Monday.

The survey conducted by the Institute of International Education found that enrollment for foreign students studying in the United States for the first time dropped 17% this fall. That figure continues a trend that saw international enrollment drop by 7% in 2024.

More than half of the 828 U.S. colleges and universities that completed the survey said they have fewer foreign students this year, with more than a quarter reporting a “substantial decrease.”

New policies put in place by the Trump administration were the main reason, the survey said. Nearly all of the colleges where international enrollment decreased said that visa issues were a significant obstacle for foreign students. Only 64% of schools said the same during the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/article/colleges-say-foreign-students-feel-unwelcome-in-the-us-amid-big-drop-in-international-enrollment-new-survey-finds-214812113.html