- The federal government underreported the number of international students in the U.S. last year by more than 200,000 students.
- The student and exchange visitor information system data issued by the Department of Homeland Security was corrected this month to show overseas enrollments rose, rather than declined.
- These enrollment figures have been at the center of an escalating battle over international student visas.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, enrollment of international students rose last year, despite data the department had previously released indicating a decrease.
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A fresh examinationby Chris Glass, a Boston College professor, discovered that DHS’s student and exchange visitor identification system data underreported the number of international students by almost 200,000. This month, the government fixed the inaccuracy. On July 7, Glass brought attention to the change.
In September, foreign enrollments totaled 1,294,231 according to data from SEVIS, a part of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as opposed to the previously stated, inaccurate number of 1,091,182. In addition to students in public and private high schools, SEVIS data also tracks students enrolled in flying schools, vocational schools, language training programs, and colleges.
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According to Glass, the updated data indicates a 6.5% annual growth rate. In the 2023–24 academic year, the United States welcomed a record number of international students, according to Open Doors data given by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State.
The updated figures demonstrate “robust growth,” Glass told CNBC. “It’s critical data at a moment when people are paying close attention to the number of international students in the U.S.”
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A request for comment from SEVIS was not immediately answered.
A growing dispute between Harvard University and the Trump administration over international student visas has focused on international enrollment numbers.
Harvard’s student and exchange visitor program certification was revoked by the Department of Homeland Security in May, which prevented international students from enrolling.
More recently, the Trump administration’s ban on overseas students was temporarily halted when U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs approved Harvard’s request for a preliminary injunction.
The future of overseas enrollment at Harvard and other universities remains uncertain for the time being.
President Alan Garbers said in an early June statement that “Harvard’s Schools continue to make plans to ensure that our international students and scholars will be able to pursue their academic work fully.”
The percentage of overseas students at Harvard is disproportionately large, despite the fact that they make up somewhat less than 6% of all U.S. undergraduate and graduate students.
In the 2024–25 academic year, 27% of Harvard’s overall enrollment was made up of international students, up from 22.5% ten years prior.
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