Harvard’s international enrollment reached a record this academic year, even as the Trump administration pressed a high‑profile fight to curb the university’s ability to host foreign students. The milestone underscores how global demand for a Harvard education has held up through months of legal and political turbulence.
Harvard enrolled 6,749 international students in the fall of 2025, equal to 28% of total enrollment, according to university data reported on January 12, 2026. That is the highest share since at least 2002, a notable uptick from roughly 27% the prior academic year. International students now account for 28% of Harvard’s enrollment, a marker that arrives amid heightened scrutiny of elite campuses.
The administration’s clash with Harvard burst into the open on May 22, 2025, when the Department of Homeland Security moved to revoke the university’s certification to enroll foreign students under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. Harvard called the action unlawful and retaliatory. A federal judge blocked the revocation on May 23, 2025, granting temporary relief while the case proceeds. Officials had accused Harvard of failing to provide records tied to student activities; the university said it complied with lawful requests and would defend its academic independence in court.
International students help power research labs, graduate programs, and classroom diversity across disciplines, and many pay substantial tuition that supports the broader academic enterprise. The record share suggests Harvard’s global pipeline remained resilient despite uncertainty over visas and funding. It also highlights the limits of policy pressure to quickly reshape enrollment at a large, decentralized university, where many international students are concentrated in graduate and professional schools.
The legal fight over Harvard’s ability to host foreign students remains a live issue, with further proceedings expected. For now, the new data point to steady international interest and continued enrollment, even as federal scrutiny of campus governance and student conduct persists. Admissions and visa policies will remain a flashpoint as universities and the administration test the boundaries between immigration enforcement and academic autonomy.