Ohio’s universities are experiencing double-digit drops in international enrollment as these students – and the campuses enrolling them – continue to comply with changing policies from the Trump administration.
Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati, Cleveland State University, Kent State University and Ohio State University report drops in international student enrollment ranging from 11% to 32.5% this fall, according to publicly available data and information provided to Signal Statewide.
It’s the second straight year of declines for each institution. This group collectively enrolled the most international students of all Ohio colleges last year.
These schools aren’t outliers. Experts predicted big drops across the country. They cited difficulties in students getting appointments at American consulates to secure required visa documents and “newly restrictive” changes related to federal immigration rules as some of the reasons behind the drop.
International students not showing up on a campus can often cause a ripple effect that extends far beyond it.
Money is one of the most tangible losses. These students typically pay full tuition, often providing a boost to cash-strapped schools.
But it also likely means fewer scientific research projects getting conducted, and, ultimately, fewer educated people to potentially try to retain for the state’s workforce – a point Ohio State officials nodded to in a statement about this fall’s numbers to Signal Statewide.
“Reasonable minds can disagree on specific rules and regulations; however, we want the world’s best and brightest to choose Ohio for school and then build a life and a career here,” spokesperson Ben Johnson wrote in an email.
Federal leaders have introduced many changes since President Donald Trump’s second term began in January 2025. The list includes revoking students’ visas before later reinstating them and asking some universities to limit enrollment of students from outside the United States.
Cleveland State’s international enrollment drops by a third
Cleveland State’s decline was the highest among the group. It enrolled a total of 828 international students this fall, according to data provided by the university.
That’s about a 32.5% drop from the 1,227 students enrolled last year. The decline is steepest at the graduate level, where the university lost more than half of its enrollment.
Cleveland State’s total enrollment fell to 12,446 students this fall, down nearly 5% from the 13,064 students enrolled in the fall 2025 semester.
At Kent State, 1,508 international students enrolled across the university’s eight Northeast Ohio campuses. That’s about a 16% drop from 1,799 in the fall 2025 semester, according to the university’s online enrollment dashboard.
Kent State enrolled a total of 31,581 students this fall, about a 5% decline from 33,319 students at the same time last year.
Universities such as Cleveland State and Kent State tend to operate on far smaller financial margins than campuses that enroll and graduate more students.
Kent State cited declining international enrollment as one of the factors contributing to an anticipated $18 million budget gap, and Cleveland State estimated it could lose up to $11.5 million due to last year’s drop in international students.
Ohio State, Case Western Reserve, Cincinnati also see declines
The state’s most prolific research universities also are experiencing declines in international student enrollment.
Case Western Reserve officials said 1,518 international students enrolled across the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels this fall, down 16% from the 1,808 students enrolled last year. This fall, 12,145 total students are attending classes at the Cleveland campus.
It’s a similar story at the state’s flagship university system. A total of 5,234 international students enrolled at Ohio State this semester, according to the university’s public enrollment dashboard.
That’s nearly 13% fewer than the 5,996 students who enrolled at the same time last year. More than 68,180 total students enrolled across the university’s six campuses this fall, about a 1% increase.
At the University of Cincinnati, officials said a total of 3,462 international students enrolled this fall, about 11% less than the 3,881 students who attended at the same time last year.
The university reported its total fall enrollment hit a record-setting 54,437 students, up about 1% from last year.
