Losing up to one-third of undergraduate enrollment and almost two-fifths of graduate enrollment would be catastrophic for many colleges and universities
FORBES
Many U.S. colleges and universities could be forced to close if they’re not able to enroll as many immigrants and international students, according to a National Foundation for American Policy report. That would mean fewer schools for American students and less employment opportunity for U.S. workers in towns with local universities.
Data show a bleak picture without the foreign born. Current immigration policies, including toward international students, affect the future of U.S. higher education.
“Without immigrants, international students and the children of immigrants, the undergraduate student population in America would be almost 5 million students smaller in 2037 than 2022, or about two-thirds of its current size, while the graduate student population would be at least 1.1 million students smaller, or only about 60% of its current size,” according to the NFAP study.
The study’s author, Madeline Zavodny, an economics professor at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, explains why foreign-born students are vital.
“U.S. colleges and universities face a looming demographic cliff. Due to the post-2007 drop in birth rates, the number of U.S.-born traditional college-age young adults is expected to start dropping in 2025,” writes Zavodny, who was an economist in the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
America’s population shifts portend hardship for U.S. colleges and universities and the communities surrounding them. That means their future may rest on whether U.S. policymakers adopt welcoming immigration policies or Trump officials follow through on an anti-immigration agenda. The Trump administration has adopted what educators see as aggressive measures against international students, including compelling Columbia University to reduce its “dependence” on international students. The administration has also set a goal of deporting one million or more immigrants.