International-student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities is showing signs of a rebound this fall after plummeting when the pandemic pushed classes online last year and the Trump administration all but closed the nation’s borders.
An early snapshot of this school year’s enrollment landscape, released Monday by the Institute of International Education and nine partner higher-education associations, shows a 4% increase in international students taking undergraduate, graduate and nondegree courses or in postgraduate Optional Practical Training programs.
That provides a partial recovery from the 15% decline in the 2020-2021 school year, when international enrollment dropped to 914,095, according to a related report published by the Institute and the U.S. State Department. It was the first time the number dipped below one million since the 2014-2015 school year. Declines were sharpest in nondegree offerings like intensive language courses and exchange programs.