UW sees fewer students from China, India after federal immigration restrictions

The University of Washington had a 9% decrease in students from China and India this fall, the home countries for about two-thirds of the university’s 7,900 international students.

Overall, international enrollment dropped 7% across the university's Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma campuses. That mirrors a national trend after the Trump administration temporarily halted student visa processing for a month earlier this year, then announced greater scrutiny of applications, including of prospective students' social media accounts.

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The Trump administration also banned travel between the U.S. and a dozen countries, and warned that other countries may be added to the list, which university administrators say further stoked student anxiety.

UW officials had feared an even steeper drop in students from abroad this fall as a result of the federal actions, said Kim Lovaas, who oversees international student enrollment at the university.

“I think the West Coast, in general, has maintained strong international student enrollment,” Lovaas said. “I know from national trends, and hearing from colleagues across the country, that that’s not true in all locations.”

In Chicago, international enrollment at DePaul University fell by one-third this fall — 755 fewer students — forcing budget cuts. Nationwide, international graduate student enrollment fell by 12%, a survey of more than 800 universities found, while international undergraduate enrollment was up 1%, on average.

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Most universities surveyed cited the Trump administration’s travel restrictions and student visa policies and practices as the major factors influencing students’ decisions not to study in the U.S.

At the UW, the decline was the same for graduate and undergraduate international students, on average.

Lovaas said the UW’s September start date — one month later than many colleges and universities — worked in its favor by giving students more time to get visas.

The UW has more students this fall from some countries, including South Korea, Vietnam, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

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