Nearly 20 Percent Fewer International Students Traveled to the U.S. in August

Perceived Talent and Role of International Students

• Debate over whether most international students are unusually talented or “average” relative to US peers.
• Some argue foreign students are self-selected, gifted, and highly driven to cross borders; others counter with anecdotal experiences of mediocrity and rich-but-unremarkable students.
• Several commenters stress that many internationals pay full tuition and receive no aid, effectively subsidizing domestic students and programs.

Brain Drain, Innovation, and Global Competition

• Strong thread arguing that losing international students harms US innovation, academic excellence, and long-term economic competitiveness.
• Counterpoint: talent staying or returning to home countries is framed as a win for those countries and for global equity, even if it marginally hurts the US.
• Some foresee more top researchers choosing Europe or elsewhere, especially given US political instability and immigration policy.

University Finances and the “Subsidy” Model

• Widespread agreement that many US colleges rely heavily on full-freight international students to balance budgets.
• Fewer foreign students could force program cuts, especially at smaller or mid-tier institutions; some may close.
• Multiple comments stress that foreign students rarely displace Americans; instead, they expand capacity by bringing in revenue.
• Administrative bloat is debated: some see it as the core cost problem, others argue large, research-heavy “city-like” universities genuinely require more admin and technology.

Impact on Domestic Students and Access

• One camp sees “more spots for Americans” as a win; others respond that the real barrier is cost, not seat scarcity.
• Concern that losing international tuition will push prices up further for US students or shrink offerings.
• Non-monetary benefits of international classmates (diversity, perspective) are described as valuable but hard to price.

Housing and Local Economies

• Evidence from Boston: fewer international students are already softening nearby rental markets, with empty apartments near universities.
• Some hope similar effects will ease student housing costs elsewhere; others note overall housing and mortgage burdens remain high.

International Comparisons

• Canada’s clampdown on certain student streams is cited as similarly destabilizing for institutional funding.
• UK and Irish universities face parallel risks, having built models that depend on high-fee foreign students.

Politics, Immigration, and Racism

• Thread contains explicit nativist and racialized arguments about which immigrants “worked better” for America, heavily challenged by others.
• Disagreement over whether lower non-European immigration would meaningfully improve US outcomes; critics call such claims unfounded and biased.