Enrollment of international students at U.S. colleges and universities, which has been declining since 2016, fell off a cliff in 2020.
According to an Institute of International Education report, the number of new international students fell 43% as thousands deferred enrollment because of the COVID crisis. International student enrollment overall was down 16% from the fall of 2019 to the fall of 2020.
Enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities, which are respected around the world, has been declinng since 2016.
A National Public Radio cited new U.S. policies that discouraged enrollment as one cause, accompanied by outreach at universities in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Those counties experienced enrollment surges as the United States declined.
Because international students usually pay more than U.S. residents, including those who attend college out of state, the drop heightens universities’ fiscal challenges amid the pandemic. The loss of international students also costs U.S. students the chance to interact and learn with peers from around the world.
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