International Student Arrivals in August Fall to 277,000, Down 28% From 2024: Chinese Students Down About 23,000, PhD Applications Drop 21%
The number of international students arriving in the United States on student visas in August, at the start of the academic year, fell to 277,000 in 2026, down 28% from 387,000 in August 2024 and the lowest level since the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Nature reported on November 13, citing data from the federal National Travel and Tourism Office.
The decline was driven mainly by students from India and China: from 2024 to 2026, the number of Indian students fell by about 50,000 and the number of Chinese students by about 23,000. A survey of 55 members of the Association of American Universities (AAU) also found that applications from international students to U.S. PhD programs fell 21% over the past year.
International students are a major part of the U.S. research workforce: in 2024 they earned 38% of the science and engineering PhDs awarded in the United States. Nigel Goldenfeld, a physicist at the University of California, San Diego, said reducing international students would cede U.S. dominance in critical scientific fields to China and Europe, while Boston College higher-education researcher Chris Glass said uncertainty created by visa and travel restrictions has changed how students judge whether a U.S. education is still a stable investment.
The Trump administration has introduced several restrictions on visas and international travel since early 2025. Last month it also attempted to place a $100,000 levy on science and engineering students enrolling in extended Optional Practical Training (OPT); the Department of Homeland Security said the proposal was meant to combat fraud, strengthen the integrity of the immigration system and protect U.S. workers. Federal judges have suspended the OPT charge and several other efforts to curb immigration. A White House spokesperson did not respond to Nature's request for comment.
The United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have also seen drops in international enrollment after placing new limits, but Glass said U.S. policies are especially restrictive. University budgets, already strained, face further pressure as the declines continue. (Source: Nature)
Source: Nature
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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