US faces $3.4bn hit as international enrolments fall

['Polly Nash', 'Polly Graduated With A Degree In History', 'English Literature The University Of Edinburgh During Which She Did A Year Abroad In Sunny Santa Barbara. She Went On To Study International Journalism At City', 'University Of London. At The Pie', 'Polly Reports On All Things International Higher Education With A Focus On The Us'] The PIE News 2026-08-11 17:55:13

An estimated 9.5% drop in total international enrolments this fall will cost the US $3.4bn, experts project. “All Americans lose when international students and scholars are driven to more welcoming countries,” said NAFSA CEO Fanta Aw in a statement. The projections underscore what sector leaders have long warned and are based on IIE’s Spring 2026 Snapshot estimating a 9.5% drop in total international enrolments this fall. That would amount to 110,000 fewer international students, depriving local economies of $3.4 billion in direct economic contributions from international students and up to 40,000 US jobs – a 9% reduction from last year’s baseline, warned the report. By comparison, they comprise a much larger proportion of the total student body in the UK (27%), Australia (31%) and Canada (38%), according to IIE.