Trump Policies Cut Columbia's International Students to 16%
Columbia University's incoming class this year has seen a dip in international students, now at 16 percent, down from 20 percent last fall. This decline is partly attributed to the Trump administration's policies targeting foreign students.
The Trump administration's actions, such as detaining activists, revoking student visas, implementing social media vetting, pausing new visa issuances, and limiting students' stay, have contributed to this decrease. Smaller, regional, and private faith-based institutions have been hit the hardest.
The impact is significant. A 15 percent drop nationwide could result in $7 billion lost revenue, while a 10 percent decline would still mean $3 billion less. Specialized colleges, many of them Christian, with smaller enrollments were more likely to have high shares of international students affected.
Colleges will submit final fall enrollment numbers in October. While Princeton reported a larger share of international students, many institutions have seen drops. Harvard anticipates similar numbers despite a legal battle. The decline has not primarily affected wealthy, selective colleges, but rather smaller, regional, and private faith-based institutions. As for the fall of 2025, no specific information is available yet.
