Data from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education show a decline in the number of foreign students attending Alabama’s four-year universities across the board, with the total declining by more than 500 from 2024 to 2025.
Of the 7,175 foreign students enrolled in graduate, undergraduate, and two-year programs in the fall of 2025, the countries with the highest numbers of students are India (1,520), Bangladesh (4012), China (409) and Nigeria (302).
That number is down from the fall of 2024, declining by just over 500, but the ratio of countries with the highest number of students remains the same.
The number of undergraduate students in the state’s public four-year universities has increased from 2024 to 2025, but the total number of students enrolled in graduate programs has decreased. Foreign students in Alabama’s two-year institutions total a meager 78.
In total, Alabama’s foreign student participation has dropped a net 544, going from 7,719 in 2024 to 7,175 in 2025.
The schools with the largest concentration of foreign students continue to be Auburn University, with 1,657 students in 2025, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), with 1,599 students. Both schools have seen a decline since 2024, with Auburn dropping by 93 and UAB by 139. However, both schools held the number-one and number-two spots in both years.
Alabama’s numbers are part of a global trend, acknowledged by foreign student advocacy organizations such as the Association of International Educators (NAFSA), which released a report claiming that the decline in international student enrollment negatively affects the nation’s economy.
“NAFSA believes that international education advances learning and scholarship, fosters understanding and respect among people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, is essential for developing globally competent individuals, and builds leadership for the global community,” NAFSA says on its website. “We believe that international education lies at the core of an interconnected world characterized by diversity, equity, inclusion, social justice, and well-being for all. NAFSA believes that diversity in our classrooms, our communities, and our workplaces is our strength. We seek to conduct international education in socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable ways.”
The NAFSA survey reports a 17% decline in new student enrollment across the board, estimating over $1.1 billion in lost revenue and nearly 23,000 fewer jobs.
The survey further claimed that Alabama’s loss in foreign enrollment resulted in an economic hit of over $8 million to the state, though it’s unclear how.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
