By Graham Andrews
The Trump administration has revoked the visas of hundreds of international students or international graduates in the past few weeks. These actions – coupled with cuts to federal funding for research, which are affecting doctoral student admissions – have many in the higher education community worried that the United States is becoming a less attractive destination for international students from around the world.
But even before the long-term effects of the administration’s policies bear out, new data analysis shows that the number of international students in the United States has already declined over the past year.
Boston College Professor Chris R. Glass recently analyzed data from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and found that, between March 2024 and March 2025, the total number of international students in the United States declined 11.33%.
The SEVIS data, managed by the Department of Homeland Security, provides information on international students studying in the United States with very little lag. Unlike other sources, SEVIS data is updated monthly, providing near-real-time insights into international student trends.
For example, AAU analyzed SEVIS data and found a 4.5% decline in international student enrollment in doctoral programs between March 2024 and March 2025. This is the only decline since 2021, which was a result of COVID-19 disruptions.
Glass’s analysis highlights the significant overall drop in Indian students (almost a 28% decline from March 2024 – March 2025). However, it is notable that when looking at doctoral programs alone, the decline in Indian students (-4.2%) is in line with overall drops in international doctoral students (-4.5%). The SEVIS data show that the largest declines in doctoral students are for those from Bangladesh, Iran, and Nigeria - countries that send significantly fewer doctoral students to the United States than China and India.
As the environment for international students continues to evolve, SEVIS data will remain an important source of information for universities and policymakers seeking to understand the impacts of changing policies on the number international students studying in the United States.
Graham Andrews is research analyst at AAU.