International student arrivals in US down 19% in August

Delays in visa processing, travel bans and heightened vetting among the reasons

- Aatish Bhatia and Amy Fan

Students at Columbia University in September. With the Trump administration's approach to immigration, some foreign students may view the US as a less welcoming or reliable option for study.

(PHOTO: REUTERS)

The number of international students arriving in the US in August fell 19 per cent in 2025 compared with 2024 - the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic.

The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

The data, based on arrival records of international student visitors, includes both new international students entering the US and existing international students returning to the country. That means we do not know the number of students alone.

But in the past, August arrivals have been a reasonably good indicator of autumn enrolment. Most international students arrive in August, in time for the autumn semester, as they cannot enter the country more than 30 days before their programmes begin.

A separate federal database tracking international students tells a similar story. It shows that the rise in the total number of international students was 23 per cent smaller this autumn, against the same period in 2024. Because this number accounts for both new students and recent graduates, it also points to a decline in the numbers of new students.

Though the actual enrolment numbers are not known yet, the travel data offers an early sign of international student trends, and how they vary among countries and regions.

The US hosts the most international students of any country: about 1.3 million doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s and associate students, according to recent government data.