Red bummer: American universities accept fewer and fewer students
The American higher education system is facing one of the most serious crises in recent decades. Against the background of reduced federal funding for science, changes in tax policy, and tougher migration policies, universities are reducing graduate school enrollment and losing "young talents." If the current trend continues, the consequences could go far beyond the academic environment, affecting US scientific leadership and global competition for valuable personnel. What awaits the Institute of American Higher Education in the future is in the Izvestia article.
No hats, no robes
The higher education system in the United States is going through difficult times. Leading research institutes are gradually reducing the number of students enrolled in doctoral programs. According to 55 of the 69 most prestigious universities listed in the Association of American Universities for Data Exchange (AAUDE), the number of students enrolled in graduate school in the fall of 2026 decreased by 15% compared to the previous year. At the same time, the number of applications increased by 3%. The Washington Post (WP) newspaper, citing representatives of the sphere, reports that the reasons for such actions on the part of educational organizations were delays in federal funding, cuts in research grants and new tax rules that complicate the use of endowments (endowment funds).
A decrease in the number of doctoral students will inevitably lead to a decrease in the quality of higher education in the United States, experts say. The shortage of young researchers in the foreseeable future may significantly slow down the development of science. "We risk losing an entire generation of new talent due to reduced support opportunities for such students," Toby Smith, senior vice president at AUDE, told The New York Times.
It all started after Donald Trump's return to the White House. After the "Big Beautiful Bill" on tax cuts and government spending came into force in the summer of the same year, Grad PLUS programs, popular among students, were abolished in the United States. Previously, thanks to a loan, it was possible to cover up to 100% of the tuition fee, now they give out no more than $100 thousand for master's degrees and $200 thousand for professional programs (medicine, law). Overall, spending on science in the United States was reduced by 3% in 2026.
Speaking about the situation with taxes on endowments, the Republicans proposed the following system: instead of a single 1.4%, a new progressive scale is being introduced, which is calculated depending on the size of the fund for each student. The highest rate (21%) is applied if the student's endowment exceeds $2 million. In particular, this is why Yale University is reducing funding for higher education programs and admitting fewer and fewer students. It is expected that one of the richest Ivy League institutions will have to pay $300 million annually, since the size of its trust fund exceeds $44 billion. What can we say about small liberal arts colleges that still have not fully recovered from the effects of inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic.
For the same reasons, the influx of students from abroad is also decreasing. In general, since the beginning of Trump's presidency, the number of international students enrolling in master's and postgraduate programs has decreased by almost a quarter. According to a joint report by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. Department of State, the number of new international students decreased by 7.2% in the 2024/25 academic year. There are also problems with issuing student visas: at the time of the spring semester of 2026, their number decreased by 20% compared to the same period in 2025.
However, apart from financial factors, the administration of the current US president is not satisfied with the political and ideological aspects of modern American higher education. The fact is that during the election campaign, Trump repeatedly raised the issue of protest sentiments among foreign students and teachers, a significant part of whom also come from other countries. We can recall, for example, the pro-Palestinian actions in 2024 at several US universities and their consequences for students and their mentors.
Vladimir Vasiliev, Chief Researcher at the Institute of the USA and Canada, draws attention to the fact that globalization has changed a lot.
— Today, American universities are filled with students from Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, immigrants who are able to pay a lot of money for tuition. It is worth understanding how these students are configured and what views they have on the political situation in the world. That is why Donald Trump is actively fighting against "undesirable" students by imposing such restrictions and, in some cases, even intimidating those who "stick their heads out." However, it is clear that this situation is likely to lead to the degeneration of an entire generation of young scientists if Republicans continue to pursue such a policy," the expert explained.
When the Democrats come
Historically, Ivy League universities have served as platforms for liberal ideas and thoughts. The policy of inclusivity and the geographical location of educational institutions played a significant role in this. Almost all are based in Democratic states, with the exception of Dartmouth College, which is located in New Hampshire, a traditionally swing state.
It is important to note that the institute of higher education in the United States as a whole has traditionally been considered more of a democratic theme: it is based on the principles of equality, academic freedom, access to education, and so on. Trump's restrictions have contributed to the fact that a huge number of young professionals are leaving the United States for Europe and China, as they see more prospects for development there. American political scientist Malek Dudakov does not rule out that after the midterm congressional elections in 2026 and the upcoming presidential race (in 2028), if the Democrats win, everything may change in the opposite direction.
— The Democrats will try to return to the old way of life at the institute of higher education: to attract students from abroad, develop science, and promote their views among the younger generation of scientists. Now, while Republicans are in power, universities in the United States are in a permanent state of culture wars, where the same contradictions are burning as in the entire American society. Education is becoming more expensive, school graduates are going to colleges less and less often, the birth rate in the country is falling, so trends promise us a reduction in valuable personnel and other negative consequences for the educational sphere," the expert told Izvestia.
In the long run, it is likely that it will be possible to see the collapse of the higher education bubble in the United States with our own eyes. However, it remains to be seen whether the United States will be able to maintain its global leadership in science and higher education, or whether its former greatness will finally fade into oblivion.
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