Fewer international students are applying to US colleges this year, and
early signs suggest that the White House’s efforts to reduce foreign
student enrolment since President Donald Trump took office in January
may be working.
According to a report released on Thursday by the Common App — a major
college application platform used by over 1,100 US universities — international
student applications dropped by 9% compared to last year (as of November 1).
The biggest drop came from India, the largest source of international
students in the US. Applications from India fell by 14%, the first
decline since 2020. Applications also fell from Africa by 18% and
from Asia by 9%.
China, the second-largest source of international students, saw a
small 1% decline, slowing down the strong growth seen last year.
Among the top 10 countries that usually send the most students to
the US, application numbers fell for all except the last two: Vietnam
and Uzbekistan.