Asian students bear brunt of historic US international enrollment drop

The month of August saw international student arrivals from Asia fall by 24%, while overall global entries declined 19%, the steepest recorded drop outside pandemic years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data.

By the numbers: Asian student arrivals plunged from 250,740 last August to 191,179 this year. Students from India experienced the sharpest losses, with entries falling 44% from 74,825 to 41,540 amid severe visa processing backlogs. This marks a notable decline as Indians account for roughly 30% of the U.S.’ international student body.

Meanwhile, China, which sends approximately 20% of foreign students to American campuses, recorded a 12% decrease from 98,867 arrivals to 86,647, extending a multi-year downward trajectory linked to geopolitical tensions. Outside Asia, African students saw a 32% plunge overall, with entries from Ghana and Nigeria each dropping roughly 50% after Washington tightened visa restrictions this past July.

What happened: The State Department in May suspended visa interview appointments for three weeks, triggering appointment backlogs stretching months at certain consulates. Data from that same period already revealed F-1 student visa approvals had fallen 22% year-over-year, the Times noted. By June, travel restrictions impacting 19 nations cut Iranian student flows by 86%. These processing disruptions occurred alongside broader enforcement measures: Washington has canceled over 6,000 student visas citing alleged criminal issues and overstays, part of a broader surge that pushed total visa revocations from 16,000 during the comparable Biden-era period to at least 40,000.

When visa cancellations surge 150% while processing pauses strike during peak season, these appear less like administrative hiccups than strategic recalibrations of who gets to come to the U.S. For Asian families investing life savings in American degrees, considerations have changed: It is no longer just about admission, but whether students will face arbitrary visa revocations or deportation threats. The risks became concrete when attempted deportations of pro-Palestinian students, which were later deemed unconstitutional by a federal court, demonstrated that campus activism now carries immigration consequences. This erosion of predictability, not anti-American sentiment, redirects students toward other countries like Australia, Canada and the UK, where visa frameworks provide better stability.

Broader implications: The decline signals a significant shift in global education flows that could reshape Asian American communities’ relationship to higher education and professional networks. As competitor nations, primarily China, actively court Asian students with streamlined visa processes, the U.S. risks ceding not just tuition revenue, but future innovation capacity. The 44% Indian student drop proves particularly consequential, as these students have historically served as bridges between Silicon Valley and South Asian tech hubs, while their families represent growing markets for U.S. businesses. For now, the financial impact is already affecting institutions, with some projected to close altogether.