Syracuse University has not been affected by a reported nationwide decrease in the number of international students enrolling at colleges in the United States.

In fact, the number of international students traveling to SU for college has been rising.

A recent report published by the National Science Foundation showed a 2.2 percent decrease in international undergraduate student enrollment and a 5.5 percent decline in international graduate student enrollment nationally between fall 2016 and fall 2017.

During that same time period, SU’s international undergraduate student enrollment jumped 4 percent and international graduate student enrollment increased 1 percent, according to a report from the Slutzker Center for International Services.

The report found a decline in international student enrollment nationally after years of growth, in the last few years.

According to the Institute of International Education, the decline may be caused by international student concerns about the unpredictability of immigration policies at the United States. Visa denials may be one of the factors preventing international students from enrolling in universities.

Maurice Harris, dean of admissions at SU, said in an email that SU “will work with the students to defer enrollment while the student re-applied for a visa, review the possibilities for the denial, and provide guidance on the visa re-application process.”

Jaquelina Falkenheim, a senior science resources analyst at the National Science Foundation, which conducted its own international student enrollment report, said in an email that the increasing price of getting a degree in the U.S. may also be a contributing factor to the decline.

International graduate students studying engineering and science in the United States make up 36 percent of total graduate students in these fields. IIE predicted that if the enrollment of international students at the graduate level continue to decline, this may negatively impact the the country’s graduate science and engineering programs, in the future.

Falkenheim said the NSF does not make predictions for the future, as their data and analysis are reflections of past and current trends.

She added that the NSF does not have data on any other factors that might contribute to the decline.

“The recent decline shown by the data represents just one data point. We will have to keep watching to see if the trend continues,” Falkenheim said.

International students currently make up about 19 percent of total enrollment at SU, according to the Slutzker Center.

Published on February 12, 2018 at 9:53 pm