Student Visa Holders Contribute $43.8B to US Economy—Report
International students studying at U.S. colleges and universities contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy, according to a new report.
The data, from the 2025 Boundless Immigration report, reflects the 2023–2024 academic year and marks a 9.5 percent increase from the previous year.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has adopted a tougher stance on student visas, with officials stating that they have revoked more than 6,000 student visas since January.
The State Department links the actions to overstays and alleged criminal conduct. The administration frames the measures as part of efforts to tighten vetting and curb perceived abuses of the student-visa system, including expanded social media screening and a proposed DHS rule to limit the duration of stay for certain visa categories.
Officials say roughly 4,000 revocations were for alleged lawbreaking, such as assaults, DUIs, and burglary, and a smaller number, reported at about 200 to 300, for alleged “support for terrorism.”
Students walk through Sproul Plaza on the University of California, Berkeley campus on March 29, 2022.
Eric Risberg/AP
What To Know
The number of international students in the U.S. reached 1.58 million in 2024, a 5.3 percent increase from 2023, according to the report.
Xiao Wang, founder and CEO of Boundless Immigration, told Newsweek that the international student population and its economic contributions are likely to decrease next year due to the current administration’s policies. He attributes this to the revocation of thousands of student visas, restrictions on schools like Harvard and their recent graduates’ work opportunities, as well as stricter admissions rules.
“If prospective students aren’t clear about if they can enter the country, graduate, or work, they will look elsewhere,” Wang told Newsweek.
International students supported 378,175 jobs across various sectors, including education, retail, and services, according to the report.
International students are concentrated in specific states, with California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, and Florida hosting nearly half the total population. California alone accounted for 14.6 percent of international students in 2024.
More than 70 percent of international students in the U.S. come from Asia, with India (422,335) and China (329,541) accounting for the largest shares. Combined, students from these two countries made up nearly half (47.5 percent) of all active Student and Exchange Visitor Program records in 2024.
“The top students from around the world want to come study in the U.S., get instilled with American values, and are encouraged to achieve the American dream,” Wang said.
A significant portion of international students pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. In 2024, 194,554 international students obtained work authorization through the Optional Practical Training program, with 95,384 receiving STEM OPT authorizations, a 54 percent increase from the previous year. Major tech companies, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple, were among the top employers of these graduates.
International students in the U.S. are considered “nonimmigrants,” a category that applies to foreign nationals who enter the country temporarily for a defined purpose, such as education. Their study programs fall under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVIS), which is administered by the Department of Homeland Security. Most are admitted on F-1 visas for academic study, M-1 visas for vocational training, or J-1 visas for exchange programs.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is proposing new four-year limits for holders of student, exchange, and media visas as part of efforts to tighten immigration regulations.
In a proposal published in the Federal Register on August 27, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) outlined plans to revise the F, J, and I visa categories.
What People Are Saying
Xiao Wang, founder and CEO of Boundless Immigration, said in a statement: “Fewer international students will have a ripple effects to the local community around the schools, but more worrisome, will actively suppress the next generation of researchers and entrepreneurs. If students decide to go to Canada, the UK, or Australia instead, we are losing more than in-year revenue, we are losing brainpower and the energy that fuels the next generation of innovation in America.”
What Happens Next
The Trump administration could continue to take a hard-line stance toward student visa holders as it looks to curb migration and carry out widespread deportations.