New federal Open Doors data showed total international enrollment reached an all‑time high in 2024–25, rising 4.5% to about 1.2 million students, but fall semester previews and surveys point to sharp pullbacks in new enrollments this year. A preliminary fall survey found a 17% decline in new international student enrollment at polled colleges and a 12% drop in graduate entrants in early 2025–26. The Open Doors report and subsequent campus surveys highlight mixed patterns: growth in overall headcount but weakness in first‑time graduate enrollments. Experts link the early fall declines to tightened visa policies, political rhetoric, and regulatory uncertainty under the current administration. Colleges that rely heavily on international tuition revenue, especially smaller institutions, are watching incoming cohorts and recruitment funnels closely as preliminary data suggest the sector may face revenue risk and talent gaps heading into 2026.