November 20, 2025: This Week in International Student News
- Carrie Circosta
- Nov 19, 2025
- 6 min read
It’s International Education Week, which means one of the biggest reports about international students in the U.S. just dropped: the new Open Doors data.
That’s the focus of this week’s Immigration Corner deep dive—but first, we’ve got a lot of headlines to cover.
Here’s what’s inside this week’s newsletter:
📰 Top Headlines: Overall international enrollment in the U.S. is holding near record highs even as new student numbers slide, thousands of student visas have been revoked while OPT is under fresh scrutiny, and a new bill targeting H-1B visas is adding more uncertainty for students who hope to work in the U.S. after graduation
🌎 Featured Resource (instead of a scholarship): A data-driven list of U.S. colleges that accept the most international students—perfect for building a college list with more realistic admit chances
🦃 Interesting Find: How to host your own “Friendsgiving” so you can still celebrate the holiday
⚡ Deep Dive: Immigration Corner: What the new Open Doors report really says about international enrollment, where students are coming from, what they’re studying, and what these trends could mean for your future plans.
Lots to cover! Let's get to it.
Carrie at International Student Voice ⭐
Best Links for International Students
📰 TOP 3 HEADLINES FROM THE WEEK
🎓 International Student Enrollment Holds Steady—for Now—as New Student Numbers Slide
New data from the 2025 Open Doors report released this week shows total international student enrollment in the U.S. is holding near record highs, but the pipeline of new students is weakening. After an 80% post-COVID surge in 2021, new international enrollments fell 7% last fall and dropped another 17% this year, with master’s and professional programs hit hardest. Experts say Trump-era policies and rhetoric are part of the story, but not the whole picture. A slowing global economy, growing competition from other study destinations, and lingering concerns over initiatives like the China Initiative are also pushing students to look elsewhere. In other words, overall numbers may look stable today, but the future flow of new students is already under pressure. I cover more details in the Deep Dive section below. (ABC News, IIE Open Doors 2025)
🎓 Thousands of Student Visas Revoked as OPT Faces New Scrutiny
The Trump administration has stepped up enforcement on international students, revoking thousands of visas and signaling tougher oversight of Optional Practical Training (OPT). Federal officials say more than 8,000 student visas have been canceled since January, often tied to status violations, fraud concerns, or students working for unvetted employers. At the same time, OPT—which lets international graduates work in the U.S. for up to three years in their field—is under renewed political fire, with critics claiming it undercuts American workers and needs stricter controls. (The PIE News, Newsweek)
💼 Lawmaker Pushes to End H-1B Visas, Raising New Questions for International Talent
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has introduced a bill to eliminate the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers, including many former international students. She argues that H-1B visas take jobs from Americans and should be scrapped entirely. While the proposal is unlikely to become law in its current form, it adds to the political pressure on employment-based immigration and fuels uncertainty for students who hope to stay and work in the U.S. after graduation. For international students already weighing other destinations, headlines like this reinforce a key question: is the U.S. still a reliable long-term option for study and work? (The Hill)
🎓 FEATURED SCHOLARSHIP
Colleges That Say “Yes” Most Often to International Students
Instead of a single scholarship this week, here’s something just as valuable: a list of U.S. universities that are most likely to admit international students. U.S. News analyzed colleges with high international enrollment and identified schools where international applicants have the best odds of getting in. If you’re building your college list—or thinking about transfer options—this is a great place to start, especially if you want to balance “dream” schools with realistic admits. See the full list of colleges that accept the most international students
🔍 INTERESTING FIND
🦃 Interesting Find: How to Host Your Own “Friendsgiving”
Next week is Thanksgiving...which also means “Friendsgiving” for many folks. This is a more relaxed version of the holiday where friends come together to share food, traditions, and time together. NPR breaks down how Friendsgiving started, why it’s become so popular, and simple tips for hosting your own gathering (even in a small apartment or dorm). It’s a great way for international students to experience an American tradition without the pressure of a “perfect” family holiday. (NPR)
News in 1 Sentence
Families of two Cleveland State students are working to bring their bodies home to Albania after the students were tragically killed in a car crash.
International students at Bowdoin College share how Trump’s threats to visas and work options are affecting their sense of safety, belonging, and future opportunities in the U.S.
Florida Atlantic University highlights the experiences of international students navigating culture shock, campus life, and building community far from home.
The Trump administration is considering new visa rules that could treat obesity as a reason to deny green cards or visas, raising concerns about discrimination and how health standards might be used in immigration decisions.
ICE has launched a new initiative aimed at preventing foreign students from “exploiting” the U.S. education system, signaling even closer scrutiny of student visas and compliance.
DEEP DIVE: IMMIGRATION CORNER 🛂
Breaking Down the New 2024-2025 Open Doors Report on International Students
Every fall, a big report quietly drops that shapes how universities, policymakers, and advocates talk about international education in the U.S. It’s called Open Doors, and if you’re an international student (or planning to be one), it’s worth knowing what it is and what it’s telling us this year.
What is the Open Doors report?
Open Doors is an annual report published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
It tracks how many international students are studying in the U.S., where they’re from, what they study, and how those numbers change over time.
It also looks at U.S. students who study abroad, but for this newsletter, we’re focusing on the international students in America piece.
How the data works (and why it’s always “behind”)
The 2025 Open Doors report is based on data from the 2024–2025 academic year—so it’s a detailed snapshot of last year, not what’s happening on your campus this week.
Thousands of U.S. colleges and universities submit their enrollment data to IIE, which then cleans, analyzes, and publishes it the following fall.
Think of it as the rearview mirror: it doesn’t capture the very latest policy changes or headlines, but it does show clear, long‑term trends.
Big picture: Overall international enrollment in the U.S.
Total international student numbers remain near record highs, showing that the U.S. is still a major destination despite policy uncertainty.
The growth is slowing, though: the post-COVID “bounce back” is leveling off, and the increase in total students is much smaller than in the first years after the pandemic.
The data shows a clear split between continuing students (who help keep totals high) and new students, where growth is weaker and in some places starting to decline.
Who’s coming to the U.S.: Top sending countries and regions
India and China remain the largest sources of international students, but their growth patterns are changing, with India continuing to rise and China slowing or flattening.
Several other countries and regions—especially parts of South Asia, Latin America, and Africa—are seeing steady or growing numbers, even as traditional markets cool.
These shifts mean campuses are slowly becoming more diverse in terms of where students come from, not just dominated by one or two countries.
What (and where) students are studying
STEM fields, business, and health‑related programs continue to attract large numbers of international students.
Graduate programs, especially in STEM, remain a major draw, though some master’s and professional programs are seeing more volatility.
International students are spread across the U.S.—from big coastal universities to smaller institutions in the Midwest and South—but certain states and metro areas still host the largest shares.
Why this matters for you
Slower growth in new international students can mean more competition in some programs, but it can also push universities to invest more in recruiting and supporting the students they do enroll.
Shifts in top sending countries may change the feel of campus communities, student organizations, and the types of support services universities prioritize.
Understanding these trends can help you think strategically about where to apply, what to study, and how policy changes might affect your long‑term plans in the U.S.
Visuals: Key charts from the report Below this section, you can add a few of the most helpful graphs from the Open Doors release—such as:
Total international students in the U.S. over time
Top sending countries and how they’ve changed
New vs. continuing international student enrollment
These visuals will make the trends much easier to see at a glance.
SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE!
Disclaimer: International Student Voice is not an immigration attorney or immigration advisor. The purpose of this newsletter is strictly educational. Always consult with qualified legal counsel for advice specific to your situation.
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