Studyportals says the U.S. share of international interest in on-campus study on its platform rose 40% in a week, an early signal for U.S. colleges that does not establish higher applications or enrollment.
The comparison is between Nov. 8 and Nov. 1. It reflects a change in the U.S. share of international interest in on-campus programs on Studyportals, not a count of new prospective students or a 40-percentage-point shift. Studyportals says browsing can precede applications, deposits and visa figures by months.
The platform supplied no breakdown of why users viewed the programs. Although the later reading came five days after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, that timing alone cannot establish a connection to the vote.
Studyportals said the U.S. share of interest in bachelor's and master's programs had fallen 38% over the previous two years. In a separate benchmark survey, new international postgraduate enrollment at responding U.S. institutions averaged 19% lower for the August-October 2025 intake than in the same period a year earlier. The survey included 201 U.S. institutions among 461 institutions in 63 countries. Participation was voluntary, and institutions selected themselves, so the result describes respondents rather than all U.S. colleges.
Earlier EconoTimes coverage of a decline in U.S. graduate business applications tracked a later stage of student demand than international interest in on-campus programs. Edwin van Rest, Studyportals' CEO and co-founder, said the task now is turning interest into “applications, appropriate visas and enrolments.”
A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposal published Oct. 8 would charge Student and Exchange Visitor Program-certified schools $70,000 for a student's initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) recommendation. A $30,000 charge would apply to a later recommendation only if the student had previously participated in OPT and paid the initial fee. DHS said the proposed fees are intended to combat fraud, strengthen immigration-system integrity and protect U.S. workers. Schools would pay the fees and could pass the expense to students or employers. Public comments on the proposal were due Nov. 9.
