Unlike in many large universities across the country, loss of international students at SUNY Oswego has been mild

By Stefan Yablonski

The number of international students at SUNY Oswego has declined since the fall of 2022 but overall it remains strong, according to Joshua S. McKeown, Ph.D., associate provost for International Education at SUNY Oswego and International Education Leadership Fellow at the University at Albany.

“The number has definitely fluctuated. There was a huge surge immediately after the pandemic when we achieved our record high of 300 international students for the first time in fall of 2022 and 2023, but in retrospect that appears to have been pent-up demand post-COVID. If you look at the data nationally, the number of new international students actually started declining in 2024,” he said.

“Then in 2025, we all experienced an unusually disruptive year due to what I would call unpredictable national policy related to student visas. Specifically, there was a complete stoppage in student visa interviews during early-mid-summer 2025 and much higher scrutiny and rejection rates afterwards,” he continued. “It really cut into new student enrollment for us and across the board in the U.S.”

The federal government’s policies have definitely had an impact.

Beyond the visa processing restrictions, the negative perception of the U.S. as a student destination has also gone up, he added.

“This is especially unfortunate when we know how happy SUNY Oswego international students are generally, how welcoming Oswego, Syracuse and Central New York are and how satisfied and successful they are academically and professionally,” McKeown said. “Nonetheless the global perception of the U.S. took a big hit in 2025 and hasn’t recovered yet.”

The source countries have changed over the years.

“When I first came to Oswego, the Canadian population was our largest and we still enroll them consistently, especially from Ontario which continues to be an area of interest to us,” he said. “Then it was east Asia, particularly South Korea and China. However, those numbers eventually fell commensurate with their declining population of young people.

“Of late it’s south and southeast Asian countries, particularly India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam. They have been terrific sources of students at both our Oswego and Syracuse campuses and interest remains strong.”

However, the new visa policies are hitting that region hard; but there are bright spots overall, he added.

“Visiting student numbers are strong, we’ve seen a steady rise in both interest and enrollment from select countries in sub-Saharan Africa and there’s a glimpse of opportunity in new places like Central Asia, the Gulf States and the Caribbean,” he said. “We never stop spreading the word about the value and access of SUNY Oswego and there’s evidence of new potential despite the current situation.”

 

Associate Provost: ‘Please Help Share This Story; It Isn’t Stressed Enough’

Academically and socially, Oswego’s international student population has always contributed to vitality in the classroom and dynamism in campus life, in both Oswego and Syracuse, according to McKeown.

“All of which contributes to every SUNY Oswego student’s experience and career readiness for a continually global economy and job market. That’s our motivation and, I believe, our academic obligation,” he said.

For context, according to the National Association of International Educators, international students contribute $43 billion to the U.S. economy and support more than 350,000 American jobs.

• In New York, nearly $6 billion in economic activity and more than 45,000 jobs.

• In Central New York and contiguous counties, nearly $400 million in economic activity (shopping, rent, cars, food and fees to us).

• According to Fortune magazine, 46% — almost half! — of America’s Fortune 500 companies were either founded by immigrants or their children.

• These companies produce more than $8 trillion in global economic activity employing more than 15 million people worldwide.

Please help share this story, it isn’t stressed enough,” McKeown said.