America is the #1 destination for the world’s best and brightest, who have many choices of where to study, live, and work. In the 2023-2024 academic year, the U.S. saw record-high enrollment of more than 1.1 million international students. We often define the value of international education in terms of the global perspectives that international students bring to the classroom and campus life. While this is absolutely true, we also need to acknowledge the overall economic benefits international students bring to our institutions, our communities, and the nation. The contribution of their tuition dollars to institutional budgets enables places for domestic students rather than displacing them, as is often stated erroneously. And according to , the Association of International Educators, international students contributed a record $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023–2024 academic year.
All of that benefit is at risk. This fall, new international student enrollment is projected to decline by an estimated 30-40% with overall international student enrollment down by nearly 15%. The financial impact on the U.S. economy may be $7 billion, according to a NAFSA estimate.
̽»¨Â¥, along with nine other higher education associations, has once again partnered with the Institute for International Education to support the , which will gather data regarding trends on your campus from fall 2025.
Please coordinate with your campus colleagues to ensure that your institution .
This snapshot data will provide crucial early information for institutional enrollment planning for next fall. By contributing to this survey, you will help us to understand what’s happening closer to real time and develop a wider understanding at the state and national levels about how higher education institutions continue to be affected by the various factors that impact international enrollments.
In addition to the fall snapshot survey, IIE publishes the official data for the previous academic year each November during International Education Week. The report is the only long-standing, comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars in the United States, as well as American students studying abroad for academic credit. Their annual data provides important benchmarking information used by institutions for enrollment planning.
With so much at stake right now—not just for our higher education institutions, our organizations, and our members, but for all students, all communities, and the nation—our collective voices and action are needed to ensure the United States remains welcoming and competitive for the world’s talented students. is a simple way for you to support.
If you would like more information on our advocacy efforts, visit the advocacy news page, where you will find our letter to Secretary Kristi Noem opposing the elimination of duration of status for student visa holders, and our work as a part of the , a multi-sector collaboration that aims to foster international student success in the U.S. through a coordinated national effort and advocate for national policies that enable international students to study, work, and thrive in the United States.
In collaboration with your voices, we will continue to work to protect your institutional mission and enrollment goals and our nation’s number one position in the global learner mobility marketplace. We can’t risk losing talent to other countries. To succeed in the global competition for top talent, we must remain open and welcoming to students, regardless of where they come from. Attracting and retaining top international students helps America stay ahead in science, technology, and innovation.