Drop in International Student Enrollment at South Dakota Universities Not as Steep as Nationwide

Our ridiculous Trumpist racism has cost South Dakota some international students:

…international student enrollment increased by 23 students this fall at South Dakota Mines, a public university in Rapid City. But the overall enrollment of international students across South Dakota’s six public universities dropped by 76 students, from 2,233 to 2,157. The drop comes after a 10-year high last fall that capped four straight years of increases.

The largest drops in international student enrollment this fall were at South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota — with 35 and 94 fewer international students, respectively [Makenzie Huber, “International Student Numbers Decline in South Dakota amid Immigration Crackdown,” South Dakota Searchlight, 2025.12.21].

Somehow the home of Kristi Noem didn’t scare off as many international students as other states:

The roughly 3% drop in the state this fall was less than the national 17% drop in international student enrollment [Huber, 2025.12.21].

But any decline in international student enrollment costs us real money:

International students contribute to research and economic development across the state, Riley said. The students, at public and private schools, contributed $67.1 million across South Dakota during the 2024-2025 academic year, according to a report from NAFSA [Huber, 2025.12.21].

International students do more real good for South Dakota’s wealth and workforce than any of those plutocrat tax-dodgers stashing their billions in Phillips Avenue trusts. We should recruit more students to come study and work here and support our universities, science, and state economy.