Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August The data shows the steepest decline in August international student arrivals since the pandemic.

The number of international students arriving in the U.S. in August fell by 19 percent this year compared with last year — the largest decline on record outside of the pandemic.

International student arrivals to the U.S. in August Source: Trade.gov Note: The data for August 2025 is preliminary and excludes visitors who arrived from Mexico via land, and visitors from Canada.

The decline is occurring as the Trump administration has delayed visa processing, instituted travel bans or restrictions for 19 countries, threatened to deport international students for pro-Palestinian speech, and heightened the vetting of student visa applicants.

The data, based on arrival records of international student visitors, includes both new international students entering the U.S. and existing international students returning to the country. That means we don’t know the number of new students alone.

But in the past, August arrivals have been a reasonably good indicator of fall enrollment. Most international students arrive in August, in time for the fall semester, as they can’t enter the country more than 30 days before their programs begin.

And a separate federal database tracking international students tells a similar story. It shows that the increase in the total number of international students was 23 percent smaller this fall, compared with the same period last year. Because this number accounts for both new students and recent graduates, it also points to a decline in the numbers of new students.

Though the actual enrollment numbers aren’t known yet, the travel data offers an early sign of international student trends, and how they vary among countries and regions.

A large drop in students arriving from Asia

The United States hosts the most international students of any country: about 1.3 million doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s and associate students, according to recent government data.

Over 70 percent are from Asia, and Asian studen