American universities have long been academic highlands that students from all over the world aspire to, attracting young talents from all over the world. However, in recent years, especially against the backdrop of the Trump administration's push for tougher immigration policies, this pattern is undergoing significant changes. As part of the "immigration tightening" policy, the US government has cancelled some international student visas, delayed visa interviews and security reviews, and imposed travel restrictions on certain countries. At the same time, the government has also publicly threatened to cut or even cancel federal funding for universities that implement the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" (DEI) policy. These measures have already begun to show their effects during the 2025 graduation ceremony.
美国高校长期以来一直是全球学生向往的学术高地，吸引着来自世界各地的年轻人才。然而，近年来，尤其是在特朗普政府推动更强硬的移民政策背景下，这一格局正发生显著变化。作为“移民收紧”政策的一部分，美国政府取消了部分留学生签证，延迟了签证面试和安全审查，并对部分国家实施旅行限制。同时，政府还公开威胁将削减甚至取消对推行“多元、公平与包容”（DEI）政策高校的联邦资助。这些举措在2025届毕业典礼期间已开始显现影响。



At the graduation ceremony, the campus atmosphere that should have symbolized diversity and openness became tense. In the past, students came from "neighborhoods, the whole country and even the world", which was a source of pride for American higher education. But nowadays, many international students are filled with pessimism about the future. Some students have directly stated that the class of 2025 might become "the last international student class in the short term", and there might be almost no international students on campus in the next semester. Some people feel no longer welcome, and the campus and social environment are becoming increasingly tense.
在毕业典礼上，本应象征多元与开放的校园氛围变得紧张。过去，学生们来自“街区、全国乃至全世界”，这是美国高等教育的骄傲；但如今，不少留学生对未来充满悲观情绪。有学生直言，2025届或许会成为“短期内最后一届留学生班级”，下一学期校园里可能几乎看不到留学生。一些人感到不再被欢迎，校园与社会环境日益紧绷。

This unease has transformed into a realistic choice. A Chinese female student who originally planned to pursue further studies at Boston University eventually decided to return to China and postponed her admission for one year. She said that after seeing the overall environment in the United States at present, she felt hesitant about continuing her studies there. Such cases are not isolated. An increasing number of international students are beginning to reuate the risks and costs of studying in the United States.
这种不安已转化为现实选择。一名原计划在波士顿大学深造的中国女生，最终决定返回中国，并将录取延期一年。她表示，看到当前美国的整体环境后，对继续留美学习感到犹豫。这类案例并非个案，越来越多国际学生开始重新评估赴美留学的风险与成本。

From an economic perspective, the impact is particularly significant. Data shows that in the 2024-2025 academic year, international students contributed nearly 55 billion US dollars to the US economy and supported over 350,000 jobs. But their value is not only reflected in tuition fees and consumption, but also in the long-term aspect: participating in cutting-edge research, promoting the operation of university research systems, founding technology companies, and enhancing the United States' leadership in global science and innovation. It is precisely these "non-native cultivated" talents that support the economic vitality and social innovation structure of the United States.

从经济层面看，影响尤为巨大。数据显示，在2024—2025学年，留学生为美国经济贡献了近550亿美元，并支持了超过35万个就业岗位。但他们的价值不仅体现在学费和消费上，更体现在长期层面：参与前沿科研、推动大学科研体系运转、创办科技公司、增强美国在全球科学与创新领域的领导力。正是这些“非本土培养”的人才，支撑了美国的经济活力与社会创新结构。

If the number of international students continues to decline, it is not only the universities themselves that will be impacted, but also an economic and social system that has long relied on the input of global talents to operate. Several media outlets and research institutions have warned that this trend may weaken the United States' scientific research competitiveness, innovation capacity and soft power. As relevant news comments have pointed out, the United States is facing a crucial choice: whether to continue attracting global talent through openness or to bear the cost of a long-term recession in tightening policies.

如果留学生持续减少，受冲击的不仅是大学本身，而是一个长期依赖全球人才输入而运转的经济与社会体系。多家媒体和研究机构警告称，这种趋势可能削弱美国的科研竞争力、创新能力和软实力。正如相关新闻评论所指出的，美国正在面临一个关键抉择：是继续通过开放吸引全球人才，还是在收紧政策中承担长期衰退的代价。