International students contributed $44 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2023-2024 school year. Their loss could hurt more than just universities’ bottom line.

Days after his administration moved to stop Harvard University from enrolling foreign students, President Trump said at a news conference Wednesday that the Ivy League college should set a limit for how many international students it accepts.

President Trump’s comments come as the administration pushes the school and other academic institutions to change many of their policies.

The efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to prevent Harvard University from enrolling international students have struck at the core of the Ivy League school’s identity and unsettled current and prospect students around the world.

The latest criticism from the Trump administration of Harvard University highlighted the number of international students entering the United States each year for higher education.

Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, is approximately 11,923 kilometers away from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, according to a signpost on campus that points to cities around the world. Shrestha, a rising senior, feels that distance acutely every day.

The share of international students studying at these colleges and across the United States has been growing for the past two decades as rising incomes in countries like China and India have produced more families looking to educate their children in America.

Harvard community rallies after efforts by Trump to block foreign student enrollment:: May 27, 2025:: Cambridge, Massachusetts "We stand here today to affirm that international students are our peers,

The president made the request in a social media post May 25, the latest in an ongoing battle between his administration and the Ivy League university.

International students, including from Colombia, Israel, and Bangladesh, condemned the move and called on Harvard to do more to protect them.

By Tom Little and Sam Tabahriti COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -When Alfred Williamson packed his bags to travel to Denmark for summer break after a whirlwind first year at Harvard University, he could not wait to return.