The size of the international student body at the University of Idaho is down 15.7% in the spring 2026 semester compared to spring 2025, according to the 10th-day enrollment snapshot gathered Jan. 29, which was presented by Provost Torrey Lawrence at the University of Idaho Faculty Senate meeting on Feb. 3.
While the student body at UI between Jan. 2025 and Jan. 2026 is up 8.7%, which is primarily a reflection of student retainment as the enrolment numbers for those academic years only saw a 0.8% increase, the number of international students has decreased from 758 to 639 for a total decrease of 119 students.
Beginning in early 2025, the United States changed its visa policy for international students, requiring current international students to resubmit documentation with stricter standards, revoking student visas and halting visa interviews for incoming international students.
In spring of 2025, The Argonaut reported on four international students who had their visas revoked, of which two had their legal status reinstated.
“This year, they’re still doing interviews, so we do have visas coming through, but it’s pretty clear that all of this has had a very strong chilling effect on international applications,” Lawerence said.
Faculty Senate members also brought up the financial impact of the decrease in international student enrollment.
“I really do hate looking at students with a dollar sign, but if you take the numbers in general and kind of in aggregate, you know, if we lose one international student and gain three resident students, that is flat financially,” Lawerence said.
The number of Idaho residents composing the student body rose by 14.3% from 6428 in spring 2025, to 7,348 in spring 2026, for a total increase of 920.
Joshua Reisenfeld can be reached at [email protected].