The number of Chinese students studying in the US has fallen for the fifth consecutive year, a significant reversal for American universities that have long relied on China as their largest source of international talent and revenue. The decline comes even as the overall population of international students in the country has rebounded past pre-pandemic levels, reports Caixin. For the 2024-2025 academic year, there were 265,900 students from mainland China enrolled in US institutions, a figure that now places the country second behind India, according to the 2025 Open Doors Report released by the Institute of International Education. The drop is most acute at the undergraduate level, which has plunged 47% from its peak in the 2019-2020 school year.
“The number of undergraduate students has indeed seen a significant decline,” said Hu Benwei, editor-in-chief of the China Education Inspection service network, in an interview with Caixin. “This change is closely related to the domestic economic environment, more cautious consumer spending, and parents’ judgment of the international situation, especially US-China relations.”
Hu noted that applications to universities in the UK and Hong Kong have risen significantly in the past two years, siphoning students who might have previously chosen the US.