SUNY fall 2025 enrollment: More students overall but fewer international students
Stony Brook University was the only SUNY research university where international enrollment increased this fall. Credit: Elizabeth Sagarin
International enrollment at State University of New York campuses across the state has declined this year, with an especially stark drop among graduate students from abroad, SUNY reported on Tuesday.
That comes despite an overall increase in enrollment at the campuses on Long Island and throughout New York, according to SUNY.
The Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has meant many foreign students face difficulties getting student visas. The Institute of International Education reported Monday that across the United States, the number of international students enrolling in American universities for the first time dropped by 17% this fall.
The number of international students at SUNY schools dropped by 3.9% compared with last fall, and foreign enrollment in graduate programs plummeted by 13.8%, SUNY reported.
Throughout the state, most of SUNY’s research university centers — including doctoral degree-granting schools in Albany, Buffalo and Binghamton — saw overall international enrollment fall, with an average decline of 9.1%, SUNY reported.
Local impact
Stony Brook University was the only SUNY research university where international enrollment increased, rising by 3.8% from a year earlier to 4,070 this fall, SUNY reported.
Stony Brook has been working hard to attract students not only from India and China, which have traditionally sent large numbers of students to the United States, but also from Vietnam, South Korea and other nations around the world, said Richard Beatty, Stony Brook’s senior associate provost for enrollment management.
The school draws foreign students to a wide range of programs, including arts, sciences and business as well as technology, Beatty said. “We're not relying on just one or two majors from one or two countries,” he said.
Other Long Island schools also saw jumps in international enrollment. At Farmingdale State College, 330 foreign students are attending this fall, up 14.2% from last fall. Suffolk County Community College saw international enrollment jump from 143 students a year ago to 376 this fall, a 163% increase.
Some local schools had declines in international enrollment, though. At SUNY Old Westbury, the number of foreign students dropped by 66%, with 49 enrolled. At Nassau Community College, the number of foreign students fell by 33%, to 59.
The enrollment figures compare last fall’s official enrollment count with this fall’s still-unofficial tally, according to SUNY.
Some private institutions, including New York Institute of Technology, have also seen declines in international enrollment.
At NYIT, the number of foreign students has fallen year-over-year by 16%, to 243 this fall, according to the school. The decline was due largely to difficulties getting student visas, said Joseph Posillico, vice president for enrollment management. Students facing those roadblocks “are now finding other countries that are welcoming them,” including Australia and countries in Europe, he said.
More community college students
Despite the drops in international enrollment at certain schools, total student populations increased at many institutions.
In terms of overall student enrollment, the largest increases on Long Island were at Nassau Community College, where enrollment grew by 12.4% compared with last fall, and Suffolk County Community College, which saw a 7% boost, SUNY reported.
Nassau Community College has seen enrollment increase steadily over the last three years, in part because the school has been hosting events where community members can experience the high quality of education the school provides at a comparatively low price, said Jerry Kornbluth, vice president of the college's Office of Community and Governmental Relations. Nassau County residents pay less than $3,000 per semester as full-time students.
At SUNY Old Westbury, enrollment increased by 5.1% compared with last fall, while Stony Brook University saw a 2.2% gain. At Farmingdale State College, the number of students ticked up by 0.7%, the university system said.
The local gains echoed statewide trends. Overall SUNY enrollment grew by 2.9% year-over-year, with a 5% jump at community colleges, SUNY reported.
The gains at two-year colleges were driven in part by the launch this year of SUNY Reconnect, which covers community college tuition and other school expenses in high-demand fields for adults ages 25 to 55 who do not yet have an associate’s degrees, SUNY said. The new program includes more than 5,600 students, SUNY reported.
The enrollment boost is also due to the expansion of programs called ASAP and ACE, which aim to increase retention and completion rates at two-year and four-year programs, respectively, according to the university system.
"Every New Yorker deserves the chance to build a better life through a quality education without breaking the bank," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement Tuesday.
Maura McDermott covers education. Since joining Newsday in 2012, she also has worked on the investigations team and covered real estate and the business of health care.
