A drop in international student enrollment is forcing Syracuse University to look for new ways to make money and attract more domestic students as higher education adjusts to unfavorable national politics.
Hundreds fewer international students enrolled at Syracuse University this fall semester, Chancellor Kent Syverud said.
The drop is part of a nationwide trend of plummeting international enrollment that’s contributing to smaller incoming classes in higher education.
“Our traditionally measured enrollment is falling by about 3.5% this year. It’s driven largely by declines in international and master’s enrollment,” Syverud said at the September University Senate meeting. “We’re about 41 students below goal overall in our master’s enrollment, and that’s largely because international students, especially from China, had trouble getting visas in the United States.”
President Donald Trump’s administration has brought erratic changes to international student protocol. In April, Trump revoked over 1,700 student visas with no warning, including three SU students. In May and June the government paused visa interviews for several weeks, causing students to not receive their visa in time for the fall semester.
The whiplash has accelerated a decline in international enrollment at SU and created an uncertain future for students.
With undergraduate tuition set at $66,580 per year, one student would pay SU up to $300,000 in tuition and fees over the course of four years. That number is higher if they choose to live on campus.
Since 2014, international students consistently made up 15% of the student population every year, with a slight dip during the 2020-2021 school year (the peak of the Covid pandemic).
In the fall of 2023, 12% of incoming undergraduates were international students, Syverud said. This fall, that number plummeted to 5%.
Full data on the current school year will not be available until next spring, SU spokesperson Sarah Scalese said in an email to syracuse.com | The Post-Standard.
‘Budget implications’
International students often pay full tuition, so a smaller population means less revenue for SU.
In order to combat the dropping enrollment, SU has increased the number of domestic students, Scalese said. This creates complications. American students need more financial aid. That means less net revenue per student.
“An uptick in the discount rate has budget implications,” said Vice President for Enrollment Services Ryan Williams at the November University Senate meeting. “There comes a point in time to where we tip the scales if we enroll too many students that are cost associated.”
This requires SU to be strategic on “enrollment management,” carefully plan its budget and raise more money for student financial aid, according to Scalese.
“International students brought lots of economy to this country,” said Jinming Zhang, a student from China. “The way we’re learning here is legal, but also we pay everything.”
SU’s large share of international students is no accident. There are seven international admissions representatives serving every continent except Antarctica. Four of the representatives live internationally, in Dubai, India and China.
Multiple international students said SU recruiters visited them abroad, making trips to places like South Korea and South Africa.
“One of my admission officers came flying to Cape Town to meet me which convinced me to come,” said Gunn Park, an international student from South Korea. He had been living in South Africa when applying for college. “Some schools that I applied and got in had international financial aid available, but I was like, (SU) wants me more so I should come here.”
The drop in international students isn’t just a Syracuse problem. Across the United States, new international student enrollment fell by 17% this fall compared to 2023, according to Open Doors, a project sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Some experts worry the decline could lead to major financial problems across higher education, and a loss of innovation and talent.
Changes lead to uncertainty
When Zhang, an international student welcome ambassador, checked in with students over the summer, many were worried about receiving their visas in time.
“Lots of new students were questioning us like, ‘How’s the visa gonna impact our time to arrive here?’ Because some people said they applied but they got no response,” Zhang said.
Some, like Park, were able to secure a visa and make it to campus at the last minute. Others remained stuck outside the United States.
SU offered deferred admission to some students who did not obtain their visas in time for the fall semester, Scalese said. This would allow them to start spring 2026 or next fall, pushing back their education several months to a full year.
Due to Trump’s temporary suspension of visa interviews, Park barely made it to SU in time for classes. The South Korean international student was unable to book a visa interview until about Aug. 12. Classes started Aug. 25. After his interview, he had to wait several days for his visa to arrive.
Park arrived in Syracuse on Aug. 20, five days after international student orientation began.
“I missed the whole orientation for international students,” Park said. “(Other students) were getting their phones, getting bank accounts and these things. They had the time to do everything, but I didn’t have time for that.”
Park was lucky to make it in time for the semester.
Darya Palermo, a property manager who run Skylar Commons, Copper Beach and Live in ‘Cuse Realty, said she has seen a stark decrease in international tenants. She has four apartments sitting empty for the first time in 15 years.
Most years, Palermo’s international tenants would recommend another international friend to take over their lease, but that happened less often this year.
“It’s a lot of change,” Zhang said. “Nowadays we have really few international undergrad students.”
Receiving a visa and making it to Syracuse are the two biggest hurdles to studying here. Staying after graduation is another feat.
While the three who lost their visas were able to finish their academic programs, according to Scalese, their story hangs as a reminder that a visa could be taken away at any time.
That uncertainty caused Zhang to accelerate his graduation from May 2026 to December 2025.
“I could have a minor or double major during my college, but I feel I should graduate earlier because I don’t know what’s the policy in the future,” Zhang said.
Sangyoon Park, a freshman from South Korea, said he is doing his best to follow the law and avoid conflict.
“I’ve heard some people getting their visa canceled was like, with small, minor issues like parking tickets or the speeding tickets. So even if I have a license, I’m not driving in the U.S. because I don’t want to get deported,” Park said.
Not all students worry like Zhang and Sangyoon Park. Freshman Jee Hoon said hearing about ICE raids makes him nervous, but he is not worried about being deported since he is in the country legally.
Syverud, who is stepping down as chancellor next year, said the changing landscape for international students seems to be the new normal.
“It is not likely to change,” he said in September. “We haven’t seen much changing about that this year.”