The University of North Texas, the University of Texas at Dallas and the University of Texas at Arlington are the Lone Star State's three most international universities, according to the 2024 Open Doors report on international educational exchange, hosting 39,000 foreign students total.
According to a recent report by NAFSA, the association of international educators, between 30-40% fewer international students are expected to sign up for classes in the United States in the upcoming school year, resulting in a 15% overall drop in enrollment and totalling $7 billion in lost revenue. As public universities begin to publish their budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, it’s clear that North Texas schools are bracing for the financial hit that a dip in international enrollment would bring.
A draft of the University of North Texas’ budget for the upcoming fiscal year shows that decreases in international enrollment are expected to cost the university $47.3 million. The budget states that international students are a lucrative faction of the student body at public universities because they pay out-of-state tuition rates and typically receive lower financial aid packages.
According to university officials, international enrollment at UNT began dipping last school year, despite the growth recorded elsewhere, and is expected to continue to drop in the upcoming fall semester. In May, university President Harrison Keller told the Board of Regents that “different market issues and geopolitical issues around visas” had already resulted in 1,300 fewer international students enrolled in UNT’s graduate programs, and an additional 25% decline has been projected for the fall 2025 term.
“[The drop-off in enrollment] is not unusual for UNT. When I talk to colleagues across the state, this is part of a larger trend that we’re seeing now,” Keller said.
UNT did not respond to the Observer's request for comment.
A budget draft published by the University of Texas Board of Regents shows the University of Texas at Arlington facing a decline in tuition revenue between $13 million and $15.6 million in the next fiscal year. The university is anticipating a “40% reduction in international graduate students,” and 300 fewer undergraduate students, thanks to a June 2025 court ruling that found undocumented residents ineligible for in-state tuition.
Last spring, UTA reported that 5,223 international students had enrolled in classes. Fall enrollment numbers are not yet available.
A spokesperson for Texas Woman’s University, which has a significantly smaller international population than UNT, told the Observer that international enrollment is level with previous years’ data. For the fall 2025 semester, 177 international students are registered for classes compared to 199 in the spring. Still, with two weeks left until classes begin, the university said an additional 10 to 15 students will likely enroll.
International enrollment projections were unavailable for the University of Texas at Dallas, the state’s second-highest attended university by international students.
Driving the Dip
The NAFSA report states that Texas alone could see 14,000 fewer international students enrolled in classes this fall compared to last year, amounting to $388.5 million in forgone revenue. According to Politico, sweeping new policies regarding how embassies screen applicants for student or other education-related visas went into effect this past June. Those policies included screening applicants’ social media profiles for “any indications of hostility towards the citizens, culture, government, institutions or founding principles of the United States,” which NAFSA believes could have resulted in a number of students’ visa applications being denied, or deterred potential students from applying at all.
Foreign embassies also temporarily paused student visa interviews in May, the busiest time of year for the screenings, which could have caused some foreign students to fail to meet critical deadlines for the fall semester.
Data provided to the Observer by the International Institute of Education shows that across the United States, 40% of universities anticipate a dip in international enrollment on the undergraduate level in the upcoming school year, and 49% anticipate a decline in graduate-level enrollment.
“Visa application process-related issues remain the most frequently cited concern, with 87% of respondents noting that delays or denials may impact enrollment,” the institute said, adding that universities have consistently reported visa-related concerns for several years.
For North Texas universities, complications to the visa process in a few specific countries could have an immediate effect on fall enrollment numbers.
NAFSA reports that consulates in India, China, Nigeria and Japan have offered limited or no appointments for student visa applicants throughout the summer. An overwhelming majority of North Texas’ international student population hails from India, the International Institute of Education said, with China being a second major supplier of international students.
