CHICAGO (WLS) — A recent drop in international college students in the U.S. could lead to a $7 billion hit to our economy, according to a new study. It cites visa bans and appointment wait times for driving out-of-country students away.

But it’s a banner year at Illinois’ namesake university in Urbana-Champaign, and the school’s campus in the city of Chicago.

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The university’s high enrollment of international students is at odds with a new study forecasting a grim outlook for the U.S. economy.

The campuses of Illinois’ two largest universities are abuzz with record-setting student populations, more than 60,000 now studying at University of Illinois’ flagship campus in Urbana-Champaign.

UIUC welcomed more than 9,200 first year students this fall, topping 2024’s record incoming class. Roughly half of that, 5,400 new freshmen, are part of University of Illinois Chicago’s largest first year class.

At U of I, there’s a real home-grown allure for 72% of its new students.

“The Illinois story is that more students, you know, from more counties in areas of the state, from various corners of the state, are choosing to come to our campus and staying in state for college,” Sara MacKenzie, executive director of Undergraduate Admissions at UIUC, told the I-Team.

The school has long been home to a large international population. UIUC says 1,410 freshmen arrived from 62 countries, an increase over last year’s international enrollment of 1,233 students from 48 countries. It’s a notable statistic during a time when the Trump administration has expanded grounds for revoking student visas.

“I think a lot of that speaks to a long legacy of students coming here and having positive experiences and going back to their home country and telling other students about their experiences. We did see Canada enter the top five for the first time in memory,” said MacKenzie.

But UIUC’s statistics appear to be unique.

UIC’s total international student enrollment dropped by nearly 5% this fall from 2024. While more undergraduate international students arrived, there were just 16 more than 2024. The drop of international students was most pronounced in graduate studies.

At Lewis University in suburban Romeoville, the drop-off of international enrollment was even more glaring: a 37% decrease this year compared to last.

Some of what could be driving this decline is the State Department paused student visa interviews from May 27-June 18 and then resumed them with strict mandates for social media vetting.

A new study out from the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors, or NAFSA, says a 30-40% drop off of international students nationwide could cost the U.S. economy 60,000 jobs, and $7 billion in lost revenue.