Methodology
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The data used in this study comes from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Study in the States data. To determine the U.S. states losing the most international students, researchers at Manifest Law used the most recent data to calculate the percentage change in international students in the U.S. from March 2025 to March 2026. International student figures in this analysis exclusively represent active F and M series visa records as tracked by the SEVIS database. This data encompasses both enrolled students and those participating in post-graduation Optional Practical Training (OPT), but excludes J-series exchange visitors.
Because this data tracks active SEVIS status rather than physical location, state-level tallies may be geographically skewed by OPT participants working out-of-state, cross-border commuters, and students on temporary leave or studying abroad. Additionally, marginal double-counting may be present within the snapshot due to temporary system overlaps during mid-semester transfers or concurrent enrollment reporting errors.
Additionally, researchers calculated the total change in international students present in the U.S., the share of all international students in the U.S., and the most common country of citizenship for international students.
For complete results, see The U.S. States Losing the Most International Students on Manifest Law.
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