Studying in the US is losing its appeal.

Following changes related to US student visa policies and conflicts between the US government and universities, this leading global educational destination is showing signs of declining appeal, according to several reports.

Students interact with representatives from American universities at a workshop in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Interest in studying in the US has dropped sharply.

As of June 14th, it has been more than two weeks since the US temporarily suspended issuing visa interview appointments for international students worldwide, including Vietnam.

Regarding the US's temporary suspension of student visa interview appointments, The PIE News quoted Edwin van Rest, CEO of Studyportals (Netherlands) – an online portal used by 55 million people from 240 countries and territories to search for information and apply for programs – as estimating that more than half of international students scheduled to enroll in the US in September are unable to schedule visa interview appointments.

The impact of the aforementioned suspension, coupled with recent developments, is so severe that, if the situation doesn't change soon, the $43.8 billion international education industry in the US could "suffer even greater damage than during the pandemic," van Rest warned.

Another report from Studyportals indicates that international students' interest in studying in the US has fallen to its lowest level since the outbreak of the pandemic. "The US is gradually losing its appeal to international students. This decline is evident in two aspects: Not only are fewer students seeking study programs in the US, but the US is also losing market share to competitors such as the UK and Australia," the report states.

The rate of searches for training programs in the US has been steadily declining since the beginning of 2025, reaching levels comparable to those recorded during the pandemic outbreak in 2020-2021.

PHOTO: STUDYPORTALS

A deeper analysis reveals that weekly search volume for US training programs on Studyportals platforms has halved in just four months, comparing April 30th to January 5th of this year. During the same period, the US also lost 30% of its market share to other countries, particularly the UK, followed by Finland, Ireland, Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, new data released by Keystone Education Group shows that interest in studying in the US decreased by 55% and 52% respectively in April and May compared to the same period in 2024. This coincided with President Trump's announcement of retaliatory tariffs, the start of his public conflict with Harvard University, and the repeated revocation of student visas for thousands of international students.

The report from this organization further stated that, in the short term, recent disruptions in student visa issuance have led 35% of international students to consider postponing their plans to study in the US, while the remaining 30% said they might cancel their plans and redirect their focus to other destinations in Europe or Asia.

China and the Middle East are apprehensive.

Some source markets for international students are also trending away from the US. For example, Dr. Saqr Alkharabsheh, Director of Admissions at Oval Office Group in Jordan, reports that many students from the Middle East feel "insecure, unwelcome, and unsafe" when considering studying in the US, and about 60% of this group are considering other options even after receiving acceptance letters from US universities.

This apprehension is related to the recent ban on entry into the US for citizens from 12 countries and restrictions on entry for citizens from 7 countries, which the Trump administration recently approved, including Iran and Yemen – two countries on the banned list – in the Middle East.

Vietnamese students studying abroad will participate in their graduation ceremony in the US in 2025.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Although no official policy has been adopted, Secretary of State Marco Rubio's alarming statement about "aggressively revoking visas for Chinese students" has led many Chinese students to decide against studying in the US at this time, according to Hanks Jun Han, Vice President of Global Business Development at Bright Can-Achieve, based in Beijing, China.

"Chinese students often apply to multiple countries and receive multiple offers of admission, so many of them have shifted their focus after the US 'froze' visas," Jun Han added, noting that safety is one of the major factors influencing students' decisions in China.

Another aspect of concern is the potential decrease in the number of "mid-stage students"—those planning to study abroad in 1-2 years. According to data from IDP, up to 44% of those in this group are considering studying in other countries instead of the US. Additionally, 87% of students are worried about potential changes to visa policies and post-graduation work rights. This conclusion was reached after the agency surveyed its student clients globally.

To mitigate risks, American universities are advised to consider developing online learning and joint degree programs to meet the growing needs of students with flexible options, such as starting online or at another campus, and then transferring to in-person study in the US later.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/du-hoc-my-giam-suc-hut-185250614204133845.htm