US Universities Anticipate a Drop in International Enrolment for 2025–2026

There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding student mobility to the US since the US administration has been taking number of concerning actions. These include a three-week+ stop on scheduling new visa interviews, a State Department announcement that it plans to suspend the status of some Chinese students in the US, a travel ban that affects students from 19 countries, stricter oversight of student visa procedures, cancellation of student visas for current students, administrative pressure or repercussions on Ivy League institutions, and heightened immigration measures targeting international students started in early March of this year.

Considering this uncertainty and upheaval, the IIE's Spring 2025 Snapshot on International Educational Exchange reveals an increasing worry among US educators about the future of global enrollment in the upcoming academic year. The main conclusion of the Spring 2025 Snapshot, which collects poll responses from 559 US higher education institutions, is that a greater percentage of US participant institutions expect a drop in the number of international students enrolled in all academic levels during the 2025–2026 academic year.

Naturally, itis challenging to measure the magnitude of those enrollment shifts. For instance, on last June 19, 2025, the US declared visa interview booking would resume following an extended three-week break during the crucial four-month processing period, when roughly seventy percent of US student visas are granted annually. It's unclear how quickly US visa offices will be able to clear that backlog, particularly given the recently implemented stricter applicant vetting requirements. Except for the pandemic period, more responding institutions, than in any other recent year reported about 35% drop in application amounts for the upcoming academic year.

One more thing to keep in mind when examining these numbers is that, although a sizable percentage of respondents predict a drop in 2025–2026 enrollment, most US colleges and universities believe that foreign enrollment will remain steady or even increase. This illustrates how an overall pattern toward a decline in enrollment is unlikely to have an equal impact on the US system, with some institutions anticipating a greater impact than others.

By communicating with both admitted and prospective students in a more individualized manner, many institutions are improving their outreach. Institutions mentioned, for instance, collaborating with current international students to establish direct connections with potential students, thereby demonstrating a friendly atmosphere. Others have attempted to use testimonies from current and former students to highlight their experiences, providing genuine insights about campus life. In the meantime, other universities are implementing fresh approaches to draw in foreign students. Some institutions mentioned increasing their collaboration with educational agencies, employing consulting firms, shifting their recruitment efforts to different regions, establishing partnership programs, looking into ways to expand their online offerings, and using AI tools to improve their operations. When taken as a whole, these steps show a forward-thinking dedication to maintaining and enhancing global engagement.