International Students on U.S. College Campuses

White House policies regarding international students on college campuses shift from week to week (or day to day), but generally reflect suspicion of international students, particularly those who criticize U.S. international policies. The administration has attempted to deport graduate students who speak out on behalf of Palestine, strip international students of their visas, halt visas for international students and exchange visitors, and approve only those whose social media posts the White House deems inoffensive, all in the name of maintaining national security.

There were more than 1.1 million international students in the United States during the 2023-24 academic year, with international students making up 6% of the total higher education population, according to the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education. Over half of the international students pursued STEM majors, particularly math and computer science.

Having taught international students from countries as diverse as China, Japan, South Korea, Greece, Sudan, Kuwait, Mexico, Iraq, Syria, Chad, Kenya—and having valued their presence in my classes—I have been disturbed by these ongoing attacks. So, I decided to investigate what research says about the impact of international students on the college campus.

What are public perceptions of the presence of international students in U.S. higher education institutions? The American Council on Education reported data from survey of 1000 registered voters conducted in February 2021. On the whole, the survey found that the public values international students for their contributions on campus, in the community, and in the workforce after graduation. For example, 68% of those surveyed believe that American college students benefit by interacting with students from other countries, and 64% believe that their presence on U.S. college campuses promotes international goodwill. A majority of respondents also saw economic benefits to international students attending U.S. colleges and universities, and a majority valued the contributions, particularly in the sciences, of international student graduates who remain in the U.S.

But a significant minority of respondents expressed concerns, particularly that international students “take seats,” especially in STEM majors, that otherwise would have gone to U.S. students. About one-third believed that international students are not properly vetted, or that they might overstay their visas. About 40% were concerned about national security, particularly that international students (especially those from China) might steal U.S. intellectual property. These concerns seem to be held mainly by older, rural and Republican voters.

And these are concerns the White House articulates about the presence of international students on U.S. college campuses. In a proclamation issued on June 4, 2025, the President wrote: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has long warned that foreign adversaries and competitors take advantage of easy access to American higher education to, among other things, steal technical information and products, exploit expensive research and development to advance their own ambitions, and spread false information for political or other reasons.”

Below, I review what research says about the economic impact of international students in U.S. institutions of higher education, whether international students crowd out U.S. students, and the impact of international students on student learning in higher education.

It is a myth that international students cost the U.S. money; actually, the reverse is true. International students typically pay tuition fees that are much higher than U.S. in-state students, and about 80% pay their own way. For example, for the 2024-2025 school year, in-state student tuition for the California State University system was $7,530. For international students, the tuition ranged from $17,000 to $20,000, depending on the campus; international students also pay an additional resident fee of around $420 per credit. According to the American Council on Higher Education, international students “ have long been seen as a funding source for higher education institutions.”

This is true of community colleges as well as four-year and graduate institutions. In California, for example, some community colleges have actively built networks to recruit international students, who they rely on for as much as 7% of their enrollment. International students at California community colleges pay as much as 10 times the tuition fee per unit as do California resident students.

International students also pay visa fees, most commonly the F-1 visa ($185). International students who take jobs while students or after graduating need an H-1B visa. It turns out that H-1B visa fees, paid by employers, have funded nearly 90,000 college scholarships for U.S. students in science and engineering and enabled more than 1 million K-12 students and 50,000 teachers to receive support and training to enter science fields, according to information by the National Foundation for American Policy.

Overall, the economic benefits from international students on college campuses are huge. According to the NAFSA Economic Analysis, international students “contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2023-2024 academic year and supported more than 378,000 jobs.” Losing them would mean losing the economic resources they generate.

What about the fear that international students take seats that crowd out American students? Contrary to that fear, evidence points to the opposite: the presence of international students actually increases the enrollment of domestic students.

The National Foundation for American Policy, based on data from 1,234 higher education institutions between 1990 and 2018, concluded that “Enrolling more international undergraduate students . . . leads to an increase in the number of bachelor’s degrees in STEM (science, engineering, computer science, and mathematics/statistics) majors awarded to U.S. students. Each additional 10 bachelor’s degrees – across all majors – awarded to international students by a college or university leads to an additional 15 bachelor’s degrees in STEM majors awarded to U.S. students.”

How can that be? For one thing, colleges and universities that work to attract international students generally invest more in STEM majors – they hire more faculty, offer more classes, majors and subfields, provide more labs – all of which attract US students as well as international students.

For another thing, international students make up for a declining enrollment of U.S. students, thereby enabling higher education institutions to stay open and maintain their array of offerings. Because of declining birthrates starting in 2007, the population of college-age young people has been dropping. According to the National Foundation for American Policy, “if international students no longer came to the United States, total undergraduate student enrollment would be at least 2% smaller and graduate student enrollment at least 11% smaller over 2025 to 2037.” Without international students and immigrants, many institutions of higher education would struggle and some would have to close. The presence of international students enables higher education institutions to continue to be widely available.

Now let us turn to the concern that international students bring dangerous ideas that undermine U.S. national security or foreign policy.

It is true that international students do usually bring perspectives, experiences, knowledge, and modes of interacting that are different from those of U.S. students. Are these differences a problem?

Commonly, cultural and language differences between international and domestic students are not bridged very well, leaving international students feeling isolated. Laesk summarized various research studies that show that simply bringing international and domestic students together in the classroom does not necessarily result in learning. The domestic students are often reluctant to engage with the international students because of language and cultural differences, and the international students are often unsure how to insert themselves into interactions with domestic students. Laesk recommends that the curriculum be internationalized in a way that makes cultural differences part of the curriculum, and that faculty be trained in supporting cross-cultural interaction in the classroom. It is possible for students—both U.S. students and international students—to develop cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to understand diverse perspectives, but these things do not happen without being planned for.

When cross-cultural learning and interaction is planned for, many see positive outcomes for both U.S. and international students. The U.S. for Success Coalition emphasizes that international students make the U.S. safer by strengthening the U.S. ability to build relationships with leaders abroad; that international students are our best ambassadors when they return home, and that international students drive much American innovation.

Faculty members who have learned to leverage cultural and perspectives differences in the classroom concur. Reimers, for example, wrote that they “bring fresh perspectives, problem-solving approaches and connections to global networks – cross-pollinating ideas that yield scientific breakthroughs and drive American competitiveness on the world stage. Some go on to be research leaders within the US. Others return home and become academic, economic and diplomatic ambassadors, strengthening trade, diplomacy and mutual understanding between their countries and the US. Their presence invigorates . . . humanities and social sciences classrooms, challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging debate that transcends national or cultural silos . . . They contribute not only to learning outcomes but to tolerant, informed debate. They challenge the homogeneity of thought that can creep into even the best institutions and help cultivate future leaders equipped to navigate an increasingly interconnected, complex world. They push both peers and professors to question assumptions, broaden world views and, ultimately, deliver a deeper, richer educational experience for everyone. American students learn best – and contribute most – when exposed to many perspectives and real cross-cultural challenges.”

Are these positive outcomes to cultivate or problems to manage and contain? To me, the answer is obvious. Even the libertarian CATO Institute concludes that foreign students are not a serious security threat.

I suggest that the White House’s attacks on international students have more to do with its attempt to paint immigrants and potential immigrants in general as a threat, and its war on higher education, particularly features of higher education that expand how young people think and see the world.

What do you think?