Universities across the U.S. are feeling the pinch from enrollment declines, and Arizona hasn’t been immune.
Why it matters: Lower enrollment means fewer graduates for the job market and the loss of a major revenue source that international students bring.
- “We use the revenue from the international students to help pay for the university,” ASU president Michael Crow told Axios recently.
- “It’s also an export of the United States,” he said, noting that the U.S. could lose as many as 40,000 jobs in sectors like housing, restaurants and car sales due to a reduction in international students.
The big picture: All three Arizona universities are expecting decreases in in-person enrollment this semester, to varying degrees.
Arizona State University touted an all-time high in total enrollment this fall with more than 200,000 students, more than 119,000 of whom are enrolled online.
- Yes, but: In-person enrollment is “down a little bit,” Crow said, though he didn’t say by how much.
- Total on-campus enrollment in fall 2025 was over 78,000, and ASU could see a drop of 1% from that, the Arizona Republic reported.
Zoom in: The drop is due to a decrease in international students, Crow said…