New international student enrolment at US colleges and universities fell sharply this year amid mounting visa delays and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown, according to new data released Monday.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) reported a 17% drop in new international enrolees for fall 2025 — the largest non-pandemic decline in more than a decade.

The survey found that 96% of institutions cited visa-application difficulties as a barrier, and 68% pointed to travel restrictions.

Institutions also reported that concerns among prospective students about feeling unwelcome in the US (67%) and worries over the broader social and political climate (64%) – with anti-immigrant sentiments voiced by top leaders and officials – may have contributed to the decline in new enrolments.

Fanta Aw, CEO of the Association of International Educators, said in a statement quoted by NBC News that the US is becoming “less competitive” globally as students struggle to secure visas.

The group also estimated a $1.1 billion economic loss linked to fewer international students this year. Many universities charge international students more, thus helping keep tuition for others lower. With few international students, regular tuition is likely to rise.

International students contributed nearly $43 billion to the US economy and supported more than 355,000 jobs in the 2024-25 academic year, according to the group.

After finishing school, many also take jobs as doctors and other professions in deep rural or urban areas seen unfavourably by many Americans, meaning the current crackdown may lead to staffing shortages in critical jobs in the years to come. (Anadolu Agency)