Students walk past each-other on Ohio State’s campus Tuesday. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
First-year international student enrollment decreased by nearly 38 percent, reversing a trend of annual increases.
According to Ohio State’s latest enrollment report, new international student admission has decreased by 314 students compared to last autumn semester.
Chris Booker, a university spokesperson, said last year’s total international enrollment, not only freshman, was unusually high and the 2025-26 academic year enrollment matches more closely with historical levels similar to two years ago.
“The current class represents a planned class size that supports balanced enrollment across the university,” Chris Booker, university spokesperson, said.
When comparing this year’s new freshman international class size to 2023, there is a 24.2 percent decrease, according to the report.
In overall enrollment, there has been a 4.9 percent decrease from other countries. China had the biggest difference with an 8.6 percent decrease — 302 students — resulting in 3,226 Chinese students currently enrolled at Ohio State, according to the report.
India has the next most popular enrollment with 777 students, a 0.5% decrease compared to last year. South Korea, with the third highest international Ohio State student population, has 321 currently enrolled, 5 students lower than 2024.
Since 2020, there has been a steady increase of international students each year. With 6,305 students, 2024 was the greatest number amongst the five years. This academic year is the first to have a drop in international students at 5,996.
The three top colleges for international students — arts and sciences, business and engineering — had varying enrollment trends. Arts and sciences and business had a drop in enrollment at 157 and 106 students, respectively. Alternatively, engineering saw an increase with 39 more students.
Overall, Ohio State had a decrease in international student enrollment. Professional enrollment had the largest drop at 15.9 percent.
U.S. President Donald J. Trump announced on Aug. 27 a proposal that limits the length of time student visa holders can stay in the U.S. Previously, people from different countries could stay as long as they are enrolled in higher education courses. If this proposal passes, students will only be able to attend their program for four years and can request an extension of less than a year if needed.
In May 2025, the U.S. Department of State temporarily paused scheduling student visa interviews to prepare for increased social media vetting for potential visa holders, per prior Lantern reporting.
Individuals from 19 countries, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, are either partially or completely prohibited from traveling to the United States since June 9, according to the state department.
In April, the university confirmed at least 12 international students had their F-1 visas revoked, per prior Lantern reporting. It is not known if there have been any more revocations since then.
