Universities are admitting they need foreign students to pad the bottom line as new international enrollments at U.S. schools appear to be declining, according to a new report on fall 2025 data.
The number of foreign students enrolling for the first time in the U.S. declined by 17% this year, according to data from Open Doors, which is sponsored by the Department of State and receives federal funding. Of the 828 colleges included in the report, 84% said recruiting foreigners is a priority, with 60% citing “financial contributions” as the reason.
Despite the decline in new enrollments, total international enrollment is down just 1%, with undergraduate enrollment up slightly by 2%. Optional Practical Training (OPT) programs that keep foreign students in the U.S. after graduation are up 14%, while graduate school enrollment by international students declined 12%.
Nearly 30% of universities included in the survey still reported an increase in new foreign student enrollment, while 14% reported stable enrollment and 57% saw a decrease.
At some universities, such as Columbia, foreign students make up a large percentage of the student body. These students are often favored by universities because they pay full tuition and fees without financial assistance.
The Trump administration has tried to rein in foreign student enrollment at schools like Harvard, citing a “toxic campus climate” due to increasing antisemitism and questions about foreign funding disclosures. However, judges have jumped in and blocked many of those efforts. In response to the administration’s moves, a Chinese Communist Party-backed university in Hong Kong offered to poach students who had been accepted to Harvard.
Recently, President Donald Trump vowed to allow 600,000 Chinese students into U.S. schools, saying America needs their “talent.” About 56% of universities reported stable or increased new student enrollment from China, according to the report.
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