U.S. Foreign Student Arrivals Plunge Nearly 20% in August
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August 2, 2025, Columbia University Campus, the United States. In the same month, the number of international students entering the United States decreased by 19% year-on-year. Photo: IC Photo
The number of international students arriving in the U.S. plunged by 19% in August compared with the same month last year, marking the steepest decline since the Covid-19 pandemic, according to U.S. government data.
The drop follows a series of measures by the Trump administration to tighten rules for student and work visas, reimpose travel restrictions on over a dozen countries, and seek the expulsion of students for pro-Palestinian activism.
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- International student arrivals in the U.S. fell 19% in August 2025 compared to the previous year, with a 24% drop from Asia and a 44% drop from India.
- The downturn is linked to tighter U.S. visa rules and travel restrictions, notably impacting students from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
- There are 1.3 million international students in the U.S.; arrivals from China have declined 18% over the past decade.
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What Happened When
- September 2015：
- There were 301,000 Chinese students in the U.S.
- 2024：
- There was a record high of 387,000 Indian students in the U.S.
- 2025：
- The number of Indian students slipped to 384,000.
- 2025：
- California and New York hosted the largest numbers of Chinese students, with 48,000 and 43,000, respectively.
- 2025：
- Student arrivals from Africa dropped by nearly a third after visa and entry restrictions were reimposed on some African nations.
- As of 2025：
- One in every three of the 1.3 million international students in the U.S. is from India.
- August 2025：
- The number of international students arriving in the U.S. plunged by 19% compared with August 2024, marking the steepest decline since the Covid-19 pandemic.
- August 2025：
- Arrivals from Asia fell 24% year-on-year.
- August 2025：
- Arrivals from India plummeted by 44% compared to August 2024.
- August 2025：
- Student arrivals from Europe remained nearly unchanged.
- September 2025：
- The number of Chinese students in the U.S. had fallen to 247,000.
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