Number of international students growing in U.S., but Trump brings uncertaintyExBulletin

A group walks on the UC Berkeley campus on March 14, 2022, in Berkeley, California. California leads the United States in international enrollment, with more than 140,000 international students attending schools there during the 2023-2024 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education. . Justin Sullivan/Getty Images .

switch captionJustin Sullivan/Getty Images

The 2023-24 school year saw more international students than ever before in the United States, setting a new record largely thanks to graduate students and recent graduates enrolled in internship-style programs.

More than 1.1 million international students were in the United States during the last academic year, according to a survey of nearly 3,000 colleges and universities by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and sponsored by the US Department of State.

These new figures mark a complete rebound since the start of the pandemic, when international registrations fell by 15%. But experts say those increases could once again be at risk under the new Trump administration, which has upended the lives of many international students and workers during its first term.

A few schools have already recommended that their international students traveling abroad for winter break consider returning to the United States before President-elect Trump takes office on January 20. These include the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Wesleyan University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

International students made up about 5% of all college and university students in recent years. During the last school year, they injected about $44 billion into the U.S. economy, while supporting about 378,000 jobs across the country, according to the group NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Mirka Martel, who led the IIE survey, said that while there is uncertainty, there has historically been bipartisan support for continuing to welcome international students.

“We have seen numbers rise and fall in the past, but overall we have seen support, due to the tremendous contribution international students make to our states' economies and cultures ” she said.

For the first time in 15 years, Indian students outnumber Chinese students

The new international student record is largely driven by graduate students and those in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, which allows foreign students to work briefly in the United States after completing their studies.

While the number of undergraduate students remained roughly the same as the previous year, the graduate cohort and the OPT program grew by approximately 8% and 22%, respectively, reaching all-time highs.

Meanwhile, India and China together accounted for more than half of all international students in the United States, according to the IIE. But for the first time since 2009, more students came from India than China, with more than 331,000 Indian students attending in the 2023-2024 school year.

The number of international Indian students has been increasing since 2021, particularly due to the increase in Indian graduate students coming to the United States. At the same time, the number of Chinese international students has been declining since the pandemic. But China remains the top country of origin for undergraduates, with 87,000 students.

“What we're seeing is that the number of undergraduates in some countries is taking longer to rebound than the number of graduates,” said IIE's Martel.

California, New York and Texas remain the most popular states for international students, but Missouri saw the biggest growth last school year, followed by Michigan and Illinois. STEM fields remained among the favorites, attracting more than half of all international students.

Trump imposed restrictions on some international students during his first term

People walk in front of New York University in October 2023 in New York. The university has a significant number of international students. Spencer Platt/Getty Images .

rock caption Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Before Trump took office in 2017, the number of international students newly arriving in the United States had been increasing for nearly a decade. During his first term, these numbers declined each year. But experts say international registrations have fluctuated over the years, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of the changing numbers.

One of Trump's first moves when he took office in 2017 was to order a travel ban on nearly all travelers from several Muslim-majority countries. The move was challenged in court, but led to students being detained at airports or forcibly returned to their home countries. (This decision was later reversed by President Biden on his first day in office.)

Chinese students have also faced increased scrutiny over their visas, amid rising tensions between the United States and China. That meant additional screenings, shorter stays or even cancellations for at least hundreds of students.

And in 2020, the Trump administration temporarily barred international students from traveling to the United States if their classes were entirely online. The move sparked a backlash and was quickly reversed.

Students and schools remain wary of the new Trump administration

During this year's presidential campaign, Trump said it was important to retain talented international students. “What I will do is if you get a college degree, I think you should automatically, as part of your degree, get a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the All-In Podcast in June.

But some schools and international students in the United States remain wary of the new Trump administration, given the president-elect's first term in office.

At Berklee College of Music in Boston, Yewon You of South Korea and Rachel Syuen of Malaysia told NPR that they are feeling a lot of uncertainty as the new presidency approaches. Both are in the United States as participants in the Sony Music Group Global Scholars program.

You, being a senior, said she was closely monitoring news regarding visas, foreign workers and immigration. She added that she adjusted her winter vacation plans to return to the United States before the inauguration as a precaution.

Your biggest concern is finding a job in the United States after college. His big dream is to work in Hollywood and produce film scores, particularly for science fiction films. But she knows it can be difficult to obtain a work visa and that visa policies change frequently.

“I’m a senior and with a new president, there’s an overlap of pressure and uncertainty in finding a job after I graduate,” You said.

Syuen, also a senior, was initially excited about Trump's promise to give green cards to international students, but now wonders if he will follow through due to a lack of details. Syuen said opportunities to study music in Malaysia were limited. She hopes to stay in the United States to produce music that blends her experiences, such as incorporating traditional Chinese instruments into pop.

“I'm also nervous about everything, but I also do my part to be a better version of myself every day to stay competitive,” Syuen said.

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