The figures come from EnglishUSA and BONARD’s new annual report of America’s ELT sector, revealing a near-20% drop in student weeks last year, with providers citing challenging domestic policy developments and visa barriers over the past two years.
“A 14% drop in students is significant, but what’s even more concerning is that students are also staying for shorter periods,” EnglishUSA executive director Cheryl Delk-Le Good told The PIE News.
She warned the drops would impact tuition revenue, staffing, and the long-term sustainability of many providers, 227 of whom were surveyed for the report.
“English language programs are often the front door to US higher education, so when they struggle, the impact extends well beyond the programs themselves,” said Delk-Le Good.
Alongside rising global competition, the report lays bare the challenging operating environment in the US, with more than two-thirds of respondents citing domestic political and economic instability as a challenge.
Elsewhere, student visa denials were cited by 58% of providers, and nearly half (48%) said low enrolments impacting budgets was a “major concern”.
If uncertainty continues to discourage students from choosing the US, the impact won’t be limited to English language programs
Cheryl Delk Le Good, EnglishUSA
Delk-Le Good said there was a risk of declines worsening in 2026, with programs reporting that students are “increasingly concerned about visa timelines, changing policies, and whether they’ll be able to continue to a degree program as planned”.
As student numbers have fallen, so too have economic contributions. The report found students enrolled at participating English language programs generated an estimated $870 million in direct economic spending, down from $950m in 2024.
When extrapolated to include all ELPs across the US, the total direct contribution is estimated to have exceeded $1.4bn last year, with Delk-Le Good reiterating the potential damages to higher education, local businesses and communities across the US if unpredictability prevails.
Among students at US providers, the average course duration dropped from 12.8 to 10.4 weeks – a trend seen across the globe with most ELT destinations experiencing notable drops in student weeks.
Based on this length of stay, the typical overall cost of a US English language program amounted to $12,500 per student, estimated the report.
In terms of source countries, France was the largest sender of language students to the US for the first time, followed by Brazil and China.
Japan, which topped the list in 2024, sent the fourth largest number of students, followed by Italy in fifth. Japan’s fall mirrors the recent trend of Japanese students turning away from the US and other Western nations, due to a weakened Yen, national security concerns and immigration challenges.
As for host states, New York welcomed the most English language students in 2025, followed by California and Florida which experienced drops of -16% and -20% respectively. Utah was the only top 10 host state to see an increase in students.
