Two new snapshots of U.S. international enrollment show a sharp hit to incoming students this fall. The Institute of International Education’s Open Doors fall 2025 snapshot reports a 17% decline in new international students while total international enrollment edged down just 1% year-over-year. The data point comes as the State Department tightened visa screening and the White House has signaled limits on foreign enrollments. The IIE and Open Doors researchers flagged graduate enrollment as a key weak spot: new graduate intake has fallen sharply, a pattern reflected in institutional reports such as DePaul’s large loss of graduate students. Mirka Martel of IIE said campus-level advocacy and visa navigation helped preserve the overall stock but could not prevent the plunge in first‑time arrivals. Colleges that rely on international tuition and Optional Practical Training revenue face immediate budget pressure and enrollment-management questions. The decline in first‑time students also raises compliance and recruitment concerns for admissions and international offices as they weigh investments in other markets and retention strategies.