US universities are seeing a decline in enrollment of foreign students, with experts warning that the decline could be even greater as Donald Trump’s harsh immigration policies reshape the country’s higher education system.A new report released Monday found that international student enrollment for the spring 2026 semester has declined by 20% compared to the same period last year. The study was conducted by international education groups including NAFSA and surveyed 149 universities and colleges across the US.More than 60% of institutions said they have recorded a low number of foreign students in both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Undergraduate enrollments were even more impacted, with universities experiencing an average decline of 24%.The figures have worried teachers, who fear the US is becoming a less welcoming destination for foreign students under Trump’s increasingly restrictive immigration agenda.Already, international student arrivals to the US in August are down 19% from last year, including returning students. Overall international student numbers fell by 1.4% last autumn, the first decline in three years. New foreign student enrollments for autumn 2025 fell by 17%.Analysts believe the latest figures could indicate an even bigger recession in the future because many of the students currently enrolled applied before the Trump administration implemented many of its harshest policies.“As long as the administration acts as if it is in a world full of enemies, it will have a serious impact on student numbers,” said Simon Marginson, professor of higher education at the University of Oxford and founding director of the Center for Global Higher Education.The report found that 84% of US institutions blamed “restrictive government policies” for enrollment declines.Since returning to office for a second time, Trump has expanded travel restrictions affecting more than a dozen countries, tightened student visa rules and increased scrutiny on foreign applicants, particularly Chinese students. The administration has also adopted aggressive deportation measures, including detaining some international students and canceling thousands of student visas, which were later reinstated.“The administration’s demonstrative display of hostility toward foreign students, including street seizures of students and forcibly expelling those on the data base for minor misdemeanors such as parking fines, has damaged awareness in the international market,” Marginson said.“Even in a more favorable environment, such perceptions take years to correct and the environment is not very favorable right now.”Universities are now beginning to feel the financial pressure. International students often pay full tuition fees, making them a major source of revenue for many institutions.NAFSA estimates that a 17% decline in new foreign student enrollments for autumn 2025 could cause universities to lose more than $1 billion in revenue. California, Massachusetts and New York are expected to take the biggest financial hit.Some universities have already started cutting costs. DePaul University in Chicago has reportedly instituted a hiring freeze, cut executive pay and restricted spending after a 30% drop in international enrollments. Other institutions, including the University of Southern California and Northwestern University, have also slashed budgets and cut jobs amid broader financial pressures.In addition to finances, the US may also fall behind academically as highly qualified foreign students are increasingly choosing universities elsewhere.The US, UK, Canada and Australia have long dominated the international education market, but Asian universities are now catching up. The report found that 82% of institutions in the Asia-Pacific region recorded growth in undergraduate international enrolments, while almost half of European institutions also saw growth.Countries including Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and South Korea have all reported increases in the number of Chinese students in recent years.China itself is emerging as a strong global education hub, helped by low tuition costs, growing research investment, and scholarship programs for students from Asia and Africa.