More than 1.5 million foreign students were enrolled in schools in the United States in 2024, rising 5 percent over the prior year, according to a new report released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week.The "SEVIS by the Numbers Report" comes amid increased scrutiny of the F-1, M-1 and J-1 visas that are used to allow temporary immigrants to access college courses, vocational training and exchange programs in the U.S.In its annual report, ICE also laid out which schools were the top users of the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). The Trump administration has sought to limit SEVP for institutions it sees as not complying with current policies, such as around antisemitism."Having the data, knowing what's happening, is certainly part of the analysis for understanding and explaining the contributions of international students and understanding the patterns of enrollment of post-graduation work experience," Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, told Newsweek. "This is something we would hope continues."How Many Foreign Students Were in the U.S. In 2024?There were 1,582,808 students on F-1 and M-1 visas last year, up 5.3 percent from 2023, with all four regions of the country seeing a rise in enrollment. The increase did slow in 2024 compared to between 2022 and 2023, however. The majority of student visa holders come from India (422,335) and China (329,541).The concentration of F-1 student visa holders – typically those working on traditional degrees at accredited colleges and universities – are concentrated in the states with some of the top U.S. schools. California leads the list with 821 SEVP-registered schools. New York came in second, with 480.Others on the list were Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan.Which Colleges Welcome the Most Foreign Students?Over the past four months, universities that have come under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to make changes to their practices are high up on the list of institutions with large numbers of international student visa holders.New York University and Columbia University each have around 25,000 F-1 students currently matriculating, as does Northeastern in Boston. Many others had between 10,000 and 20,000.Notably absent in the top F-1 schools is Harvard, which the Trump administration has focused its attention on in recent weeks, seeking to strip its ability to enroll international students. The Ivy League university falls just outside the top 20 list, hosting 10,292 F-1 visa holders in 2024.What Are They Studying?These students are studying a variety of subjects, but the standout major was Computer Science, with second language learning, computer and information sciences, and business administration and management following close behind.ICE's report also covers M-1 visas, which are aimed at vocational training. The data shows a big difference in the 431 vocational schools and institutions actively taking in foreign students.Delta Aeronautics, American Aviation Flight Academy and Airbus American Customer Services were among the employers enrolling international students for training, while several Christian schools also led the list of M-1 visa enrollers.Who Is Sponsoring J-1 Visa Holders?As for the J-1 visa, which covers a variety of exchange programs managed by the State Department, there were 298,858 such visa holders in 2024. That number was up 0.7 percent over 2023.The J-1 program includes au pairs, camp counselors, interns and teacher training, as well as visiting professors, researchers and medics.SEVP data showed the top 25 program sponsors, which highlight the variety of J-1 holders. Notably, in third place on the list, was the State Department itself, sponsoring some 14,431 J-1 visa holders.Where Are Foreign Students Working?Student visa holders are allowed — and are often required — to work during their studies and afterwards. In 2024, 194,554 students were able to work through Optional Practical Training (OPT), up 21 percent on the year before, with a further 95,384 getting work training through STEM OPT.Overall, 381,140 foreign students were able to gain work authorization, finding jobs with some of the largest blue-chip employers in the country, including Amazon, Tesla, Goldman Sachs and Walmart. Some colleges and universities also welcomed student visa holders as employees under the program.The chart below covers those working under OPT, excluding STEM and Curricular practical training (CPT) programs.Amid pauses and changes to student visa applications, Feldblum told Newsweek that it was crucial that international students were still able to come to the U.S., otherwise the domestic economy could lose out on an estimated $44 billion in activity."We have close to 400,000 international students participating in some form of training that directly benefits American employers, industry, research across the country," she said. "Beyond the big names, we're talking about workplaces, employers, across all these states, the local contributions that international students bring."This is, again, beyond thinking about the $44 billion, but thinking about the actual work, talent, skills that could be lost if we do not ensure that international students want to come here. Our premier destination role is not assured, it is fragile."ICE said it would continue to review visas and institutions for any "potential violations" and will refer any national security concerns to field offices for investigation.