UW-Madison international enrollment drops to lowest in a decade

The University of Wisconsin-Madison international student enrollment fell to its lowest point in at least a decade, reflecting a national trend caused by shifting visa policies in the United States. 

More than 67,000 students applied to UW-Madison this admission cycle, making it the most competitive applicant pool the university has ever seen. But the number of enrolled international students dropped by 30%, reaching its lowest point since at least 2013.

UW-Madison’s international student count fell to 5,322.

Broader forces beyond campus are complicating international recruitment. At the federal level, a series of changes to visa processing, status revocation and stay limits have introduced uncertainty for current and prospective international students.

UW-Madison moved “proactively” over the summer to mitigate the downward trend by boosting support for visa processes and facilitating students’ travel to Wisconsin, according to an email statement from UW-Madison Interim Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Scott Owczarek.

Those efforts were designed to “offset uncertainty over the climate for international students and changes to visa policies,” he said.

“International students bring research expertise and global perspectives that strengthen UW-Madison’s academic excellence and enrich campus life for all students,” Owczarek added, outlining the stakes for the university’s broader mission.

Between May 27 and June 18 U.S. consulates paused new student visa interview appointments — a critical window for fall arrivals — to implement new social media vetting protocols. Once resumed, consulates were required to restore appointment availability within five days. 

At the same time, the Department of Homeland Security proposed capping how long foreign students can remain in the U.S. by replacing the traditional “duration of status” rule with a fixed-term limit, like up to four years. 

U.S. immigration authorities previously revoked or terminated thousands of student and alumni visas earlier this year, including 26 at UW-Madison, generating fear and concern across campuses. 

Though students have since had their status restored through litigation, the abrupt enforcement actions cause concern for the future of international students. 

National data also reflects the broader trend. Student arrivals to the U.S. in August 2025 dropped 19% compared with the previous year, the lowest August total since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The decline could shrink the diversity of research perspectives on campus, particularly in graduate programs that rely heavily on international students.

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