A billion-dollar loss as fewer international students come to America

November 21, 2025

Howard Student on July 6 2021 by AP — With the Founders Library in the background, a young man reads on Howard University campus July 6, 2021, in Washington. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP File

New international student enrollment for fall 2025 in U.S. institutions fell by 17%, according to the Institute of International Education (IIE), a New York based nonprofit that has tracked such data for the last 75 years.

The IIE report released on Monday surveyed 825 colleges and universities, and more than 96% of them reported visa application concerns by prospective students as the main obstacle to enrollment for the 2025-26 academic year.

Excluding the pandemic, the 17% drop is the largest in a decade as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and new visa rules make it increasingly difficult to come to the United States.

The National Association of International Educators (NAFSA) said on Monday following the IIE report, that the drop in international students translates to a $1.1 billion loss of revenue to the U.S. economy, and nearly 23,000 fewer jobs.

In the 2024-25 academic year, international students were responsible for $43 billion of economic activity in the U.S. supporting more than 355,000 jobs.