Leading Research Universities Report

As President Trump proposes massive cuts to federal spending on science and research, multiple recent reports and studies show that these cuts would seriously harm the American economy, including at national, state, and local levels.

A new study from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found that a college education offers a 12.5% rate of return for the typical graduate.

A series of new proposals and policy changes are creating fresh uncertainty for university researchers who rely on funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation to conduct groundbreaking scientific and medical research.

The recent executive orders call for major changes regarding accrediting agencies, university disclosures of foreign funding, and workforce development.

AAU President Barbara R. Snyder joined more than 400 higher education leaders in opposing the Trump administration's excessive intrusion on college and university campuses.

Nearly a third of international recipients of doctoral degrees in science and engineering in the United States remain in the country after graduation.

Between March 2024 and March 2025, the total number of international students in the United States declined 11.33%.

A new report from Science is US highlights the positive economic impact of STEMM careers and the growing need for continued investment in science. 

The Trump administration has now either threatened to cancel, or has already canceled or paused, federal grants and contracts at five research universities over allegations of wrongdoing in other parts of campus life.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters that the State Department has revoked the visas of more than 300 individuals – including several international students, scholars, and faculty – and was revoking more daily.