# Expert Commentary Available: U.S. sees 17% Drop in New Foreign Students 

Dropping international student enrollment is troubling for American higher education and the country.

November 17, 2025 • News Releases 

New international student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities plunged 17% in fall 2025, the steepest non-pandemic decline in over a decade, according to data released today by the Institute of International Education. More than half of the 825 institutions surveyed reported decreases, with a majority citing visa application concerns.

[Neal McCluskey](https://www.cato.org/people/neal-mccluskey), Director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom, warns: “Dropping international student enrollment is troubling for American higher education and the country. The United States has long been a major destination for international students seeking top-flight education, which brings both money and talent to the country. We should avoid disrupting that.”

If you’d like to interview McCluskey, please reach out to Cato PR at [pr@​cato.​org](mailto:pr@cato.org).

Related Commentary:

- [U.S. Universities Can’t Innovate in Isolation](https://www.cato.org/commentary/us-universities-cant-innovate-isolation)
- [600,000 Chinese Students Would Be a Windfall for the United States](https://www.cato.org/blog/600000-chinese-students-would-be-windfall-united-states)

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