E-Paper
Harvard's SEVP revoked: How many international students are at the university
The Trump administration revoked Harvard's SEVP that enabled them to enroll international students
The Harvard University vs Donald Trump back-and-forth took a massive turn on Thursday when the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem informed the college that the administration is revoking its Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification. The SEVP enables universities, like Harvard, to enroll international students.
"This administration is holding Harvard accountable for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," Noem said. "It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from their higher tuition payments to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments."
In response, Harvard said the government's action is ‘unlawful’.
“We are fully committed to maintaining Harvard’s ability to host international students and scholars, who hail from more than 140 countries and enrich the University – and this nation – immeasurably, the university.”
Read More: Harvard vs Trump: How losing international students could crush universities | Explained
Harvard University has long been a global hub for international students, with their numbers and proportion of total enrollment steadily rising over nearly two decades.
Here are number of international students at Harvard (annual data)
2006–07 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 3,941
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 19.6%
2007–08 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 3,961
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 19.8%
2008–09 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,025
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 19.8%
2009–10 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,201
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 19.9%
2010–11 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,207
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 19.7%
2011–12 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,347
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 20.6%
2012–13 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,531
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 21.3%
2013–14 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,633
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 21.8%
2014–15 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,822
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 22.5%
2015–16 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 4,961
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 22.7%
2016–17 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,245
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 23.4%
2017–18 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,483
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 23.9%
2018–19 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,542
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 23.8%
2019–20 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,718
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 24.1%
2020–21 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,359
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 24.1%
2021–22 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 5,473
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 25.8%
2022–23 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 6,527
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 25.8%
2023–24 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 6,713
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 26.8%
2024–25 Academic Year
Number of International Students: 6,793
Percentage of Total Enrollment: 27.2%
