The Trump administration’s latest legal battle with Harvard raises new questions about the future of international students in the U.S. Here are five quick facts to know.
When U.S. Secretary for Homeland Security Kristi Noem notified Harvard University that she was revoking its eligibility to enroll international students, dramatically escalating the Trump administration’s ongoing battles with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university, the action made headlines across the nation.
However, this latest tactic in the government’s higher education pressure campaign, which a federal judge quickly blocked with a temporary restraining order after Harvard sued, has implications that reach far beyond Harvard Yard. It throws a spotlight on the status of the more than one million international student studying at American colleges and universities and raises new questions about their safety and security.
Here are five fast facts to keep in mind about foreign college students studying in the United States.More than one million international students
Most international students come to the U.S. on F-1 or J-1 visas. They must attend an institution that’s certified by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which is administered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This is the certification program through which Secretary Noem is attempting to terminate Harvard’s enrollment of international students.
In the 2023-24 academic year, 1,126,690 international college students were enrolled in the U.S, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report. The total number includes students in a category called “optional practical training,” which covers international students who legally extend their time in the country by working for up to a year before or after they complete their degree requirements.
Last year’s number was an all-time high, representing about 6% of all college students in the nation. Since the pandemic in 2020-21, when the number of international students declined by a record 15%, enrollments have increased by a total of 200,000 students over the past three years.Twelve of the 20 universities with the most international students are public
In the 2024-25 academic year, 6,793 international students were enrolled at Harvard, representing 27.3% of its student body. As impressive as those numbers are, Harvard does not rank among the top 20 institutions for the most international students.
