Applications from international students seeking to attend US colleges this fall fell by about 10 percent, marking the largest decline in at least a decade, according to data released Thursday by Common App. The report surveyed 1,146 schools, representing a 4 percent increase from the previous school year.
Nearly 16,000 fewer foreign students applied for spots at US institutions compared to the previous cycle. This decline coincides with efforts by the Trump administration to restrict overseas students from entering the country, including alterations to student visa rules. During the prior application cycle, which ended shortly after the initial visa restrictions began, foreign applicants had decreased by just 1 percent.
Rodney Hughes, Common App’s senior data scientist, noted that the recent plunge is the steepest recorded since digital data collection began in 2013. Hughes stated that increased difficulty in obtaining visas likely deters students from applying. The trend could accelerate further following recent policy adjustments that limit the ability of visa holders to switch schools, change majors, and remain in the US after graduation.
The impact of the decline is unevenly distributed across institutions. International applications to the most selective schools—those accepting fewer than a quarter of applicants—dropped by just 1 percent. In contrast, institutions accepting more than half of their applicants experienced an approximate 20 percent drop.
Regionally, the report showed double-digit application declines from Asia and Africa. European applications also fell by 4 percent, reversing years of steady growth, as countries such as France and Germany increased efforts to attract students looking away from US education. Meanwhile, domestic college applicants rose by 4 percent, bolstered by a 9 percent increase from the Southwest US.
The Common App report also highlighted shifting trends regarding standardized testing. For the first time since 2019, more students reported SAT or ACT scores on their applications than omitted them. The number of applicants submitting test scores rose by 11 percent, while the number withholding scores fell by 5 percent. This shift follows decisions by prominent universities, including Yale, Columbia, and Princeton, to reinstate testing requirements after years of test-optional policies.
Despite these changes, institutions that do not require testing remain a majority. Only 5 percent of colleges currently mandate SAT or ACT scores from applicants, up from 4 percent last year but down significantly from 55 percent in 2019.
"The sharp decline in international student applications highlights how regulatory changes and immigration policies can directly impact institutional revenue and global talent pipelines. Educational institutions, particularly less selective ones that rely heavily on international enrollment, must reevaluate their strategies to manage these structural shifts. For businesses and startups in the edtech and student mobility sectors, this evolving landscape signals a clear need to adapt to changing cross-border education patterns and diversify target markets." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
