New international student enrollment at U.S. colleges tumbled 17% this fall, the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors snapshot shows, a sharp drop that colleges and international education directors say is linked to tighter visa processing and political uncertainty. The snapshot—based on 825 responding institutions—also found graduate enrollment declines driving much of the falloff. Despite the steep fall in new arrivals, overall international enrollment fell only modestly at responding institutions. The mixed picture—fewer first‑time entrants but many continuing or post‑graduation OPT participants—has financial implications for campuses that rely on full‑tuition international students. Campus leaders are warning that prolonged visa delays, stricter screening and policy shifts could deepen revenue shortfalls and complicate graduate‑level research and teaching pipelines.