International students returning to US, but below pre-COVID levels

Foreign students going back to college

U.S. (AP) - A new survey finds that international students are returning to U.S. colleges in stronger numbers, but the rebound has yet to make up for last year’s historic declines.

Nationwide, American colleges saw a 4% annual increase in international students this fall, but that follows a decrease of 15% last year.

That’s according to new survey results released Monday by the Institute of International Education.

The upturn is better than many colleges were forecasting over the summer as the COVID-19 cases surged.

But it reflects continued obstacles as visa backlogs persist and some students show reluctance to study abroad during the pandemic.