Studyportals data shows decline of US master’s searches

Pageviews of master’s programs in the USA have dropped from a high of 42,297 in the first week of January to 17,804 in the week ending September 28th, Studyportals said.

The market share of the USA among all master’s pageviews on Studyportals has declined from more than eight per cent at the beginning of January to just over four per cent at the beginning of September.

The organization highlighted that the decline in pageviews aligned with proposed and enacted policy changes since the Trump administration took office in January, including those related to student visa duration, Optional Practical Training and H-1B work authorization rules.

The share of USA in master’s program searches on Studyportals this year.

“The policies we adopt today will echo for years in global talent flows,” said Edwin van Rest, CEO and Co-Founder of Studyportals. “Prospective international students and their families weigh not only academic reputation but also regulatory stability and post-graduation prospects. Right now, those factors are working against US institutions.”

In the 2023/24 academic year, graduate students represented almost half of all international higher education students enrolled in the USA (502,291), according to the Open Doors report by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and has accounted for the majority of growth for the sector in recent years along with the Optional Practical Training (OPT) post-study work scheme.

Destinations that appear to have benefited from the decline of Studyportals pageviews of master’s programs in the USA include the UK and Ireland, which both have pageview volumes 16 per cent higher so far this year compared with the same period of 2024, and Australia, Austria, Sweden and Spain, which are all up by at least 12 per cent.

Studyportals said that recent research by NAFSA showed that any loss of OPT would reduce the likelihood of enrolment for some prospective international students, while proposed changes to H-1B visas to prioritize higher wage earners could lead to some international graduates abandoning previous plans to stay.

“Prospective students are making go/no-go enrolment decisions, while current students are making stay/leave retention decisions. Policy changes ripple through both ends of the pipeline, reducing new inflow and pushing out existing talent already contributing to US research, innovation, and competitiveness,” said Edwin.

Other policy challenges faced by the international education sector so far this year include a three-week pause on student visa interviews in June followed by the introduction of new social media screening measures as part of the student visa interview process, as well as a wave of student visa revocations, a travel ban on students from 19 countries, and a high-profile battle between the Trump administration and Harvard University.