In an email sent to Stevens faculty and staff, President Nairman Farvardin provided an update on the 2026 fiscal year budget. According to the email, graduate enrollment has declined “due largely to visa issues for international students,” and since Spring 2026, graduate enrollment has been below the school’s budget target, the university has implemented an additional layoff of 19 staff members. This action highlights the impact of graduate enrollment on the university’s operating budget, particularly international enrollment, “which has had a sustained impact on our revenues.”
In May 2025, The New York Times listed Stevens first on a list of schools with the most international full-time graduate students in Fall 2023. For Stevens, this figure was a sizable 88%, underscoring the school’s dependence on international enrollment at the graduate level. However, in Fall 2024, this percentage was 58%.
The consequences of the university’s dependence on international enrollment were demonstrated in the university’s 2025 layoffs. In 2025, following the Trump Administration’s executive orders affecting higher education—specifically targeting international enrollment—Stevens laid off 45 employees, citing, “Like many institutions across the country that have adjusted expenses to address revenue shortfalls resulting from changes in federal policies—including in international student enrollment and research funding—Stevens is navigating these challenging conditions.”
As international graduate enrollment declines, Stevens continues to adapt. President Farvardin’s email noted “accelerating efforts to increase efficiency and effectiveness” by integrating technology and AI-enabled tools to “streamline operations and better support our academic mission, student support services, and administrative function.”
Nonetheless, the decrease in international graduate student enrollment had clear consequences on the university’s budget, and further impacts remain to be seen.
