For decades, American universities stood as lodestars of global education, drawing students from every corner of the world with promises of academic excellence and opportunity. International enrollment was not just a measure of prestige but also a vital revenue stream that underpinned research, faculty hiring, and campus expansion. That foundation is now buckling under political turbulence.
The Trump administration’s sweeping changes to immigration and education policies have chilled the flow of global talent into US classrooms. Tightened visa procedures, federal funding cuts, and the specter of enrollment caps have sent international students elsewhere, destabilizing universities already strained by shrinking domestic enrollments and rising operational costs. What once appeared as isolated setbacks now resembles a nationwide crisis.
DePaul at the breaking point
In Chicago, DePaul University is the latest casualty. This fall, international enrollment dropped by 30%, wiping 755 foreign students from its rolls. First-year graduate enrollment fell even steeper, by nearly 62%. President Robert Manuel warned faculty of a hiring freeze, executive pay cuts, and strict spending curbs, describing the challenges as “so severe and debilitating that it’s getting hard to recognize higher education anymore.”
A nationwide domino effect
DePaul is not alone. At least 35 universities have announced cutbacks in recent months. Johns Hopkins slashed 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in federal research funds. Northwestern trimmed 425 positions, and USC laid off over 630. Each cited declining international enrollments and shrinking federal support as the primary catalysts of financial stress.
Visa politics and cultural fault lines
The policy shifts fueling this exodus are deliberate. The Trump administration has tightened visa approvals, demanded public disclosure of applicants’ social media, and revoked student visas on grounds of “anti-American” activity. “If you are a foreign student pushing Hamas propaganda… you can book yourself a ticket home,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at DHS, in blunt terms.
Students vote with their feet
For many prospective scholars, uncertainty has proved decisive. An Indian student admitted to UC Davis deferred her admission after her parents worried she could be deported. A Chinese graduate, accepted into a US PhD program, chose the UK after American professors privately warned him of the visa risks.
The graduate student crisis
Graduate programs are bleeding the most. Illinois Urbana-Champaign has seen first-year international graduate enrollment drop by 22%, while the University at Buffalo reported a devastating 58% plunge. Since these students typically commit to multi-year programs and pay higher tuition, the financial ripple effects will haunt universities for years.
Billions at stake
According to NAFSA, international students contributed $37 billion to the US economy in the 2024–2025 academic year. This year, that figure could fall by as much as $7 billion. For universities already strained by declining domestic enrollment and rising costs, the loss is a fiscal shock. Moody’s has warned that schools heavily reliant on foreign graduate students face significant credit risks.
Harvard and the 15% cap
Even elite institutions are under fire. The administration recently attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students over alleged antisemitism, an effort now tied up in court. This week, the White House floated another seismic shift: Capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%. A memo argued that universities “risk reducing spots available to deserving American students” if they rely too heavily on foreign tuition revenue.
The bigger question
For decades, international students have been cultural ambassadors, research partners, and vital financial contributors. Their retreat now poses a dual crisis, economic and reputational. US universities , once the world’s classroom, face the prospect of losing both global prestige and financial stability. The question lingers: Are America’s doors to knowledge still open, or are they closing under political weight?
The Trump administration’s sweeping changes to immigration and education policies have chilled the flow of global talent into US classrooms. Tightened visa procedures, federal funding cuts, and the specter of enrollment caps have sent international students elsewhere, destabilizing universities already strained by shrinking domestic enrollments and rising operational costs. What once appeared as isolated setbacks now resembles a nationwide crisis.
DePaul at the breaking point
In Chicago, DePaul University is the latest casualty. This fall, international enrollment dropped by 30%, wiping 755 foreign students from its rolls. First-year graduate enrollment fell even steeper, by nearly 62%. President Robert Manuel warned faculty of a hiring freeze, executive pay cuts, and strict spending curbs, describing the challenges as “so severe and debilitating that it’s getting hard to recognize higher education anymore.”
A nationwide domino effect
DePaul is not alone. At least 35 universities have announced cutbacks in recent months. Johns Hopkins slashed 2,000 jobs after losing $800 million in federal research funds. Northwestern trimmed 425 positions, and USC laid off over 630. Each cited declining international enrollments and shrinking federal support as the primary catalysts of financial stress.
Visa politics and cultural fault lines
The policy shifts fueling this exodus are deliberate. The Trump administration has tightened visa approvals, demanded public disclosure of applicants’ social media, and revoked student visas on grounds of “anti-American” activity. “If you are a foreign student pushing Hamas propaganda… you can book yourself a ticket home,” said Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary at DHS, in blunt terms.
Students vote with their feet
For many prospective scholars, uncertainty has proved decisive. An Indian student admitted to UC Davis deferred her admission after her parents worried she could be deported. A Chinese graduate, accepted into a US PhD program, chose the UK after American professors privately warned him of the visa risks.
The graduate student crisis
Graduate programs are bleeding the most. Illinois Urbana-Champaign has seen first-year international graduate enrollment drop by 22%, while the University at Buffalo reported a devastating 58% plunge. Since these students typically commit to multi-year programs and pay higher tuition, the financial ripple effects will haunt universities for years.
Billions at stake
According to NAFSA, international students contributed $37 billion to the US economy in the 2024–2025 academic year. This year, that figure could fall by as much as $7 billion. For universities already strained by declining domestic enrollment and rising costs, the loss is a fiscal shock. Moody’s has warned that schools heavily reliant on foreign graduate students face significant credit risks.
Harvard and the 15% cap
Even elite institutions are under fire. The administration recently attempted to block Harvard from enrolling international students over alleged antisemitism, an effort now tied up in court. This week, the White House floated another seismic shift: Capping international undergraduate enrollment at 15%. A memo argued that universities “risk reducing spots available to deserving American students” if they rely too heavily on foreign tuition revenue.
The bigger question
For decades, international students have been cultural ambassadors, research partners, and vital financial contributors. Their retreat now poses a dual crisis, economic and reputational. US universities , once the world’s classroom, face the prospect of losing both global prestige and financial stability. The question lingers: Are America’s doors to knowledge still open, or are they closing under political weight?
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