Statistics supplied by the Council of Graduate Schools in 2018 show that for the first time since fall 2003 there has been a decline in graduate student enrollment. The organization said specifically, applications from prospective international graduate students declined by 3%, while first-time enrollment of international graduate students declined by 1% in predominately master’s degree and certificate programs.
And now, industry leaders see this trend potentially at the undergraduate level as well, with many publicly noting how exclusionary rhetoric — which many experts contend has grown tremendously under the Trump administration, especially with policies around Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, travel bans for individuals from several Muslim-majority countries, and an increase in student protests around social issues — has only exacerbated sentiments of international students not feeling welcome to an American education.
