International students are turning away from the United States and Britain in favour of universities in Asia and continental Europe, a global survey has found, as tighter visa rules redraw the map of higher education.
Britain and the United States recorded the steepest falls in international undergraduate numbers, down 19% and 13% respectively in the October to August period compared with a year earlier, according to the survey of 437 universities in 63 countries, conducted by Studyportals, NAFSA and Oxford Test of English.
Canada and Australia also saw weaker demand, while universities in Asia and Europe reported stronger international enrolment growth, the survey found.
The shift matters well beyond campus gates. International students typically pay far higher fees than domestic ones and are a major source of revenue for universities, helping to offset the costs of teaching and research. A sustained fall in their numbers would put pressure on university budgets on both sides of the Atlantic.
Visa restrictions and government policies were the biggest barriers to recruitment, the survey found, with processing delays, tougher screening and changes to post-study work rules prompting students to defer or abandon plans to enrol.
In the United States, interest has fallen after President Donald Trump tightened scrutiny of international students, expanding social media checks, revoking thousands of visas and imposing tougher rules on how long students can stay in the country.
US institutions were the most pessimistic about the outlook, with more than a third expecting enrolments to decline further in the coming years.
Britain has also tightened its student visa rules as successive governments seek to reduce immigration, restricting most international students from bringing dependants and planning to shorten the period graduates can remain in the country to work or seek employment.
“These survey results affirm what we’ve observed before: national policies matter to international students making major decisions about where to study, conduct research, or start a career,” said Dr Fanta Aw, executive director and chief executive of NAFSA.
The survey was conducted before the November 3 midterm elections, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, although the president retains executive authority over visa rules.
Sources: Reuters — “Visa barriers push students from US and UK to Asia and Europe, global survey shows” (https://www.reuters.com/world/visa-barriers-push-students-us-uk-asia-europe-global-survey-shows-2026-11-12/)
