Democrats won majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in last week’s US midterm elections, and interest among international students in studying in the US is already on the rise, according to data from Studyportals.
Relative demand on the Studyportals platform for on-campus study in the US rose by 40% on November 8 compared with the same day a week earlier.
This increase comes after two years of sharp decline in interest in studying in the country as an international student.
Edwin van Rest, CEO and co-founder of Studyportals, said: “Students react quickly to political news. This is good news for both domestic as international students, American universities, and for entrepreneurship and industries facing severe talent shortages.
He added that now the challenge is to “turn this interest into applications, appropriate visas and enrolments.”
Student interest in bachelor’s and master’s programs dropped by 38%, while Studyportals’ Global Enrolment Benchmark Survey data also recorded a drop of 19% year-on-year for US master’s enrolments in Autumn 2025.
This is good news for both domestic as international students, American universities, and for entrepreneurship and industries facing severe talent shortages
Edwin van Rest, Studyportals
This decline coincided with the tighter restrictions on the opportunities available to international students proposed by the Trump administration.
Most recently on October 7, The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a proposed rule that would charge US universities $70,000 for each international student they recommend for Optional Practical Training (OPT). Institutions would have to pay a further $30,000 per year for extensions of a student’s initial OPT.
In August, DHS also announced that Curricular Practical Training (CPT), the program allowing international students to take internships and work placements during their studies, should only be granted where it is a degree requirement.
Given that these restrictions are not yet in effect, international students now appear to expect that a Democratic House and Senate could view international talent, and its ability to build a career in the US, more favorably.
One student, who preferred to remain anonymous, told The PIE News that they feel “relief” but are still “cautious” about what the future may hold for international students in the US.
They said the “practical impact” of a Democratic-controlled Congress “depends on how aggressively” it uses its oversight powers, and whether the administration responds to that pressure.
The election results come at a crucial time for the US workforce, as it faces marked shortages in fields like STEM where most graduates used to be foreign nationals.
For example, a shortage of up to 157,000 semiconductor workers by 2030, according to McKinsey and the SEMI Foundation.
This increased interest shows a shift in student intent, as browsing for study destinations takes place months ahead of applications, deposits and visa data – well before official enrolment figures become available.
