Major public colleges across the U.S. have reported big drops in their international student populations this fall.
As more institutions release their newest enrollment data, the higher ed sector is getting a clearer picture of the impacts of the federal government's crackdown on foreign students and moves to tighten the visa system.
Although some of the Trump administration's largest changes have been paused by the courts, college officials and student advocates expect the instability of the visa system to constrict the international student pipeline.
Fall enrollment at the University of Colorado declined 1.4%, or by 926 students, from 2025 to 2026. A majority of that drop came from 582 fewer international students, according to a presentation to the system's board of regents this month.
Foreign student losses drive enrollment drop at University of Colorado
Some colleges have still managed to increase enrollment overall, sometimes to record-breaking levels, despite enrolling fewer foreign students.
But that doesn't necessarily mean their budgets aren't feeling the pinch, as international students typically pay the full sticker price.
Ohio State University's overall fall enrollment increased 1.4% from the previous year to a little over 68,000 students. But the number of international students on its campuses declined 12.7% to 5,234.
Ohio State sees major loss of foreign students
Ohio State also experienced a particularly strong decline in international students from China. That population dropped 20.7% to 2,558 in fall 2026 compared to the prior year.
One state over, international enrollment at Indiana University dropped 15.6% year over year to 4,763 in fall 2026.
Indiana University suffers 15.6% drop in foreign students
In addition to the ongoing federal crackdown, Indiana recently enacted legislation that increases scrutiny on international students. Since mid-August, the state has required its public colleges to conduct background checks on foreign students from China, Russia and other countries if they are studying select scientific fields like engineering and computer science.
IU appears to have fared worse than the statewide average. There are about 32,500 international students in Indiana this month, according to federal data. That's down 2.5% from some 33,400 last September.
Compared to some other higher ed systems, the University of Maine System has a relatively small international population. The number of foreign students on its campuses reached a recent peak of just over 600 in fall 2024.
Still, UMS saw a 7.2% decline in fall international enrollment from 2025 to 2026.
UMS international enrollment takes hit
The budget-strapped institution could feel the decline keenly. University administrators said in April a loss of 100 out-of-state students in one enrollment cycle would cost UMaine $7.2 million in revenue over the four years those students would have been expected to attend.
Other higher education institutions, such as the University of North Texas and the Universities of Wisconsin system, have likewise seen significant international enrollment drops, according to preliminary data.
UNT lost over 1,300 international students from fall 2025 to fall 2026. That drove an overall enrollment decrease of 3.6% to 42,016 students. The drop follows an even bigger decline in foreign students last fall — about 2,500 year over year.
Earlier this year, President Harrison Keller told Higher Ed Dive that international graduate students accounted for most of the loss the university experienced in fall 2025.
"We admitted about 2,700 master’s students who were not able to attend," he said at the time. "Each of those students would have brought between $20,000 and $25,000 to the institution. That’s a significant hit."
Across the Universities of Wisconsin's 13 campuses, overall enrollment decreased by about 1%, or 1,732 students, in fall 2026, according to preliminary institutional data. Of those, nearly two-thirds — 1,100 — were international students.
