Newly released records show the University of Texas at Dallas pulled in more than $127 million in tuition and mandatory fees from international students across two recent fall semesters, even as its foreign-student headcount dropped by roughly 1,300. That split between rising revenue and falling enrollment highlights just how much campus finances can pivot on full-fare nonresident and graduate tuition, and it adds fresh fuel to ongoing debates over recruitment, aid, and immigration policy at public universities.
Documents obtained through a public records request show UTD generated $71,619,671 in tuition and mandatory fees from international students in Fall 2024 and $55,437,371 in Fall 2025, a combined total that tops $127 million. Over the same period, international enrollment fell from 5,603 students in Fall 2024 to 4,298 in Fall 2025, a decline of about 1,305 students, according to The Dallas Express.
Foreign students are paying far more at the sticker price. UT Dallas lists 2025–26 tuition and fees at $14,644 for Texas residents and $40,164 for nonresidents, which helps explain how per-student revenue can stay hefty even as the headcount slips, according to UT Dallas. Most of the international students are graduate students, who typically pay higher per-credit rates along with additional mandatory fees…