The University of Rhode Island saw a significant decrease in the number of international students enrolled this academic year, as heightened immigration enforcement by the Trump Administration makes it more difficult for many international students to attend school in the U.S.
URI saw a 16% decrease in international student enrollment from the 2024-25 academic year to the 2025-26 academic year, according to data provided by the school. In the current academic year, 404 international students are enrolled – down from 480 the year prior.
The decrease at URI follows a broader national trend that has hit many schools harder. The U.S. government issued 36% fewer visas of the kind most commonly used by international students just before the fall 2025 semester, according to a New York Times analysis of State Department data.
Potential international students face heightened screening, fewer international student visas, and longer approval delays. Many U.S. educational institutions benefit financially from international students, as many pay full tuition.
At URI, President Marc Parlange says the school has programs designed to support international students’ enrollment and make them more comfortable.
“We provide support for our students, actually, 24-7, and we’ve worked closely with our international students,” Parlange said in an interview with Ocean State Media’s Luis Hernandez. “They are integral to who we are as a university.”
Educating international students can also contribute to economic growth in Rhode Island, Parlange said.
“We’ve really been a pathway for students of all economic areas, but we’ve been able to attract outstanding international students to the university,” Parlange said. “They’ve come, they’ve done their PhD here, they’ve continued either in academia as professors, at research institutes, starting companies – and that’s really been an engine for growth and for prosperity in the U.S.”
Overall, URI received a record number of first-year undergraduate applications for the fall 2025 semester and saw an 11% increase in applications to graduate programs, according to the school.
Ocean State Media’s Joe Tasca and Luis Hernandez contributed to this story.
