How the US can stem decline in international students

New enrollment of undergraduate and graduate international students at American universities and colleges for 2016-17 declined by 2.1% or nearly 5,000 students, according to the recent Open Doors data released by the Institute of International Education. This excludes the decline with non-degree programs.

At an average tuition and fees of US$25,000, higher education institutions are likely to lose potential revenue of US$125 million for the first year of studies alone. The enrollment decline covers the previous year and does not include the effect of the American presidential elections.

More recent trends are indicated by the Fall 2017 International Student Enrollment Survey accompanying the Open Doors report. It suggests that enrollment for this academic year is likely to decline further. Nearly 522 institutions that responded to the survey indicated a drop of 6.9% for 2017-18.

However, there are variations, with some institutions reporting a decline while others do not. Nearly 45% reported a decline, 24% held steady while 31% reported an increase.

More information here.