Which states have the most foreign students?

Harvard is almost 30% foreign. That's keeping my little Muffy from being admitted. Damn Aliens!

Axios News

June 6, 2025

Each state's share of total international college students in the U.S., 2023-24 school year

A choropleth map of the U.S. showing the share of all international college students by state for the 2023-24 school year. California leads at 12.5%, while Alaska trails at 0.03%.

California, New York and Texas have the greatest shares of the approximately 1.1 million international college students nationwide, per data from NAFSA, an international education nonprofit.

Why it matters: The Trump administration is halting student visa interviews and revoking visas for Chinese students amid a political pressure campaign against colleges and universities and a broader immigration crackdown.

A big drop in international students could hurt college town economies, some of which are already struggling due to lower enrollment.

By the numbers: Of all international students studying in the U.S. during the 2023-24 school year, about 12.5% were doing so at schools in California, 12.1% in New York and 8% in Texas.

Massachusetts (7.3%) and Illinois (5.5%) round out the top five, per NAFSA's latest report.

The big picture: The student visa pause comes as the Trump administration has been criticizing U.S. colleges and universities for failing to crack