U.S. International Student Numbers Rise in Fall but Remain Below Prior Years, DHS Data Shows
The Henry Kaufman Management Center at NYU Stern, seen from Gould Plaza in Greenwich Village. Tisch Hall appears at left; Paulette Goddard Hall is visible in the distance at right. New York University (NYU) hosts more international students than any other college or university in the United States. Photo: Ajay Suresh / CC BY 2.0
NEW YORK — The number of active international student records in the United States rose by 84,536 in September, reversing much of the decline recorded during the summer, according to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Student and Exchange Visitor Information System.
The number of active records increased from 1,114,176 in August to 1,198,712 in September, a gain of 7.6%.
Despite the sharp month-to-month increase, the September 2026 total remained below the level recorded in the same month of the previous two years. DHS data show 1,301,135 active international student records in September 2025 and 1,294,786 in September 2024.
Compared with September 2025, the September 2026 total was 102,423 lower, a decline of about 7.9%. Compared with September 2024, the number was 96,074 lower, or about 7.4%. The September 2025 total itself was 6,349 higher than September 2024, an increase of about 0.5%.
A Fall Rebound After the Summer Decline
The September increase came as colleges and universities began the fall academic term, when schools typically update records for returning students and new international students. The month-to-month increase, however, cannot by itself be interpreted as a comparable increase in new visa issuances or new arrivals, according to immigration attorneys.
The increase followed a decline of about 42,000 active international student records from July to August. The total fell from approximately 1.15 million in July to 1,114,176 in August, a decrease of nearly 3.7%, according to the DHS SEVIS Data Mapping Tool.
SEVIS, or the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, is the federal system used to maintain information on international students and exchange visitors in the F and M visa categories. The monthly data provide a snapshot of active records by country of citizenship.
“The figures do not show how many students received visas during the month, how many entered the United States for the first time or how many were returning students. They also do not represent the number of international students who are physically present in the country on a particular day,” said New York-based U.S. immigration attorney Keshab Raj Seadie.
China Leads the September Increase
The summer decline was broad-based, with many of the largest international student populations recording lower numbers from July to August.
India remained the largest source country in August, with 333,314 active student records, down 4,916 from 338,230 in July. China ranked second, with 197,802 active records, down 6,666 from 204,468.
South Korea, Brazil and Canada also recorded declines of more than 1,000 students during the month.
Japan fell by 880 students, or 6.9%, to 11,929 active records. Nigeria declined by 800 to 21,311, while Vietnam fell by 698 to 29,412.
A small number of countries recorded increases during the July-to-August period. Ghana added 120 active records, reaching 13,940, while Bangladesh increased by 106 to 25,437.
The pattern changed in September.
India’s active student count increased to 335,698, up 2,384 from August. China recorded the largest numerical increase, rising by 21,214 students to 219,016, a 10.7% increase.
Canada increased by 5,215 to 37,713, while South Korea rose by 4,073 to 41,589. Brazil increased by 3,703 to 40,194.
Vietnam rose by 3,698 to 33,110, Bangladesh increased by 1,516 to 26,953 and Taiwan increased by 2,107 to 21,774.
Nigeria rose more modestly, from 21,311 in August to 21,633 in September.
India and China together accounted for more than 554,000 active records in September, or about 46.3% of the total.
Other large increases were recorded among students from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Turkey, Mexico and Japan.
The United Kingdom increased from 11,174 active records in August to 13,452 in September, a gain of 20.4%. Japan rose from 11,929 to 13,639, an increase of 14.3%.
France increased from 7,029 to 9,065, Germany from 7,202 to 9,239, Spain from 8,696 to 10,637 and Turkey from 11,007 to 12,014.
Nepali Students Recover Some Ground
The number of active Nepali student records also increased in September after a sustained decline through the spring and summer.
Nepal had 31,880 active student records in August. That number increased to 33,948 in September, a gain of 2,068 students, or about 6.5%.
Despite the September increase, the number remained below the March level of 34,853. September’s total was 905 students, or about 2.6%, lower than the March figure.
The Nepali student count had declined from 34,853 in March to 34,680 in April, 34,366 in May, 33,758 in June, 32,852 in July and 31,880 in August.
The largest monthly decline during that period occurred from July to August, when the number fell by 972.
From March to August, the number of active Nepali student records declined by 2,973, or about 8.5%. The September increase partially reversed that decline, but the total remained 905 below the March level.