he retreat of international students from American campuses is threatening to become an economic problem as well as an admissions challenge, with a projected $3.4 billion hit to local economies and as many as 40,000 US jobs potentially at risk.
New international student enrolment in the United States fell 17 per cent in fall 2025 from a year earlier, according to a snapshot by the US Department of State and the Institute of International Education cited by CNBC. A subsequent IIE snapshot indicated that overall international enrolment could decline again in the coming fall.
The numbers come as the United States remains divided over immigration and visa policies, while new data points to weakening demand from overseas students considering American universities.
Undergraduate applications in the United States increased overall, but the international segment weakened, according to Common App data cited in the report.
The decline was particularly pronounced among applicants from Asia and Africa.
Common App researchers also found fewer prospective students outside the United States creating accounts on the application platform. That could leave colleges with a smaller pool of international candidates in future admission cycles.
America’s most selective Ivy League institutions may be relatively insulated because of the depth of their international applicant pools, according to the report.
The pressure could be far more acute for colleges below that tier.
Jamie Beaton, co-founder and CEO of college consulting firm Crimson Education, said mid-ranked private institutions and regional public universities are particularly dependent on international students who pay full fees.
