Student interest in studying in the United States has dropped to its lowest level since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, new data from Studyportals has revealed.

Millions of student searches reveal a troubling trend: the US is losing its appeal to international students. This decline shows up in two ways. Not only are fewer students searching for US programmes overall, but America is also losing market share to competitors like the UK and Australia. According to the Studyportals research, US student demand could plummet over 70% year on year in 2025 if this trend continues.

“International students and their families seek predictability and security when choosing which country to trust with their future. The U.S. government’s recent actions have naturally shaken their confidence in the United States. Government actions and policies have consequences. The decline in student interest carries with it serious ramifications for U.S. pre-eminence in research, innovation, and economic strength. This early trend data should serve as an urgent call for Congress to intervene before further long-term damage is done,” notes Fanta Aw, Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

 Where students are looking instead of the US  

Student behaviour on Studyportals reveals their decision-making process in real time. They’ll look at a US programme, then immediately search for similar degrees in other countries in the same session. This shows exactly which countries they view as alternative options.  

America’s main rival for students is the UK. When students search for US Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, they are most likely to also browse British programmes. In fact, almost 1 in 10 students (9%) research UK universities in the same browsing session. And that number is climbing, up from 8.5% a year earlier.  This translates to millions of students actively comparing America to one of its closest competitors.  

For Canadian colleges and universities, the story differs. About 4.3% of students researching US programmes also look at Canadian institutions in the same session, but the figure has dropped 17% from 5.2% of sessions over the past year. This indicates that Canada isn’t automatically benefiting from America’s decline.  

Along with the UK, those researching US programmes are increasingly also exploring degrees in Spain, Ireland, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.  

More American students are looking abroad  

Interest from American students in US degrees dropped 20.5% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same quarter last year.   

During this time, Ireland saw a massive 63% jump in interest from American students. Several European countries like Switzerland, Sweden, and Spain also posted strong gains of 25-30%.   

What this means for the US  

Studyportals’ insights come at a critical time for American institutions, many of which are increasingly reliant on international enrolments to maintain research capacity and global competitiveness.  

Edwin van Rest, CEO and Co-Founder of Studyportals says, “Every student who decides against America isn’t just lost tuition money—it’s lost talent. The person who could’ve started the next big company or made some major discovery might end up in London instead of Boston, all because of decisions being made right now.”