Global Approval of U.S. Leadership Drops as International Student Enrollment Falls

Global approval of U.S. leadership dropped below that of China across multi-country surveys. Data from Pew Research Center and Gallup recorded simultaneous declines in U.S. standing among traditional allies and foreign publics.

Recent global polling suggests that America’s reputation has weakened. Pew Research Center’s 2026 survey of 36 countries found that a median of just 37% of respondents expressed a favorable view of the United States, compared with 57% who held an unfavorable view. China was viewed more favorably than the U.S. in most of the countries surveyed.

Separately, Gallup polling found that global approval of U.S. leadership fell from 39% in 2024 to 31% in 2025. Approval of Chinese leadership rose from 32% to 36% over the same period. Among NATO allies, approval os U.S. leadership fell 14 percentage points to 21%.

New international student enrolment at U.S. colleges and universities fell 17% in fall 2025, according to the Institute of International Education.

According to NAFSA, international students contributed $43.8 billion to the U.S. economy and supported almost 380,000 jobs during the 2023-2024 academic year. The National Foundation for American Policy reported than almost one quarter of all U.S. startups worth $1 billion had at least one founder who first came to the U.S. as an international student; almost 60% were founded by an immigrant.

Higher education data from the Institute of International Education shows total international student enrollment reached 1,126,690 during the 2023-2024 academic year. Figures from the National Science Foundation show temporary visa holders earned 38 percent of all science and engineering doctorate degrees from U.S. universities in 2023.

The U.S. Department of State issued 445,897 F-1 student visas in fiscal year 2023. Federal agencies expanded visa screening procedures and security review rules for foreign university partnerships in 2025.