Colleges and universities have ramped up recruiting of international students in recent years to offset declines in the pool of native-born counterparts.

But the number of international students choosing to study in the United States is dropping. As of August, 313,000 international students arrived in the U.S., down 19% from 2024, according to the International Trade Administration.

Trump Administration policies may be fueling the decline, according to the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a group of college and university leaders formed to consider the effect of administration immigration policies on higher education. The administration has taken steps to limit the number of foreign students in the U.S., in part by revoking student visas, delaying or pausing issuing new visas, and instituting travel bans from a number of nations.

Locally, the number of international students enrolled at Erie area colleges and universities also has generally declined this fall.

Gannon University

First-year foreign students enrolled in Gannon graduate programs is down from 329 in 2023 and 79 in 2024 to 36 this fall.

First-year foreign undergraduate students number 83 this fall, down from 112 in 2024.

Penn State Behrend

There are 157 international students enrolled, down from 166 in fall 2024.

System-wide, Pennsylvania State University reported 8,863 international students this fall, compared to 9,386 in 2024.

Allegheny College

The Meadville school had expected 30 international students this fall, but due to “significant delays in their required visa meetings at consulates or just increased scrutiny and visa denials,” 16 foreign students actually enrolled, according to the college’s vice president for enrollment management.

Mercyhurst University

Mercyhurst has an increase in international students this fall.

There are 166 foreign students currently enrolled, up from 147 last fall.

Pennsylvania Western University

International enrollment also has grown slightly at PennWest.

The university’s three campuses had a combined 144 international students in 2024. This fall, 145 foreign students from about 50 countries are enrolled.

Contact Valerie Myers at vmyers@gannett.com.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Fewer international students enrolled at Erie colleges this fall