October 6, 2025: U.S. colleges and universities are increasingly feeling the financial strain of declining international student enrollment — and the latest signal comes from DePaul University in Chicago. According to Reuters, DePaul has announced immediate spending cuts following a steep 30% drop in its international student population this fall.
In a memo sent to faculty, university president Robert Manuel described the cuts as part of an urgent effort to stabilize finances. While the exact amount of the reduction is still being determined, potential measures include a hiring freeze, executive pay cuts, and limits on discretionary spending.
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DePaul’s international enrollment has dropped by 755 students compared to last year. Even more concerning, the number of first-year international graduate students has plummeted nearly 62%, a figure that underscores the growing challenge universities face in attracting talent from abroad.
The university enrolled around 21,000 students last year, of whom approximately 2,500 were international. The sharp decline not only affects tuition revenue but also has broader implications for the university’s research output, global reputation, and classroom diversity.
DePaul is far from alone. Dozens of colleges and universities across the country are implementing similar budget cuts in response to federal policies under President Donald Trump that reshaped immigration and education. Restrictions on student visas, heightened scrutiny of foreign applicants, and threats to research funding — which often draws students from abroad — have all contributed to the downturn.
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International students have long been a financial cornerstone for many U.S. institutions, typically paying higher tuition and supporting university operations beyond just academics. Their presence also enriches campuses with diverse perspectives and global networks.
But as enrollment continues to slide, universities are being forced to reevaluate their models. The situation is especially acute for mid-sized private institutions like DePaul that rely heavily on international students to meet enrollment and revenue targets.
Unless federal immigration and education policies become more welcoming to international applicants, many experts fear that the U.S. will continue to lose ground to countries like Canada, the U.K., and Australia — all of which have adopted more open strategies to attract foreign students.
For now, the belt-tightening at DePaul offers a cautionary tale for the broader landscape of American higher education — one in which fewer international students could mean lasting financial and academic consequences.
