I once served on the campus budget committee for a large public university. Over a dozen years, starting in the late 90s, I witnessed many changes in how the university operated. The biggest change was the surge in international students, especially those from China. Those students helped us balance our budgets, hire exceptional faculty, and strengthen our programs.

That institution was hardly alone in benefiting from international students. Today, the United States is a substantial net importer of students — in a way, it’s one of our biggest trade surpluses — with over 1.3 million foreign students attending our schools as of 2023, and the State Department issuing 400,000 new student visas in fiscal 2024. Most recipients are higher education students on F-1 visas, with 60% pursuing graduate degrees. These students attend more than 6,000 institutions spread across red, purple, and blue states. The U.S. is the academic finishing school for the world’s best and brightest, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.