International students are integral to higher education in California. They bring diverse experiences and critical skills to the postsecondary arena and contribute to the fiscal health of public and private institutions. The federal government has modified policies related to immigration and international student visas, introducing uncertainty to individuals already stateside as well as those abroad seeking to attend US institutions. Debate around these policy changes raises an opportunity to investigate the contribution of international students across California’s universities.

International students represent roughly 7% of California’s total four-year college and university enrollment. At public institutions, international students make up 14% of total enrollment at the University of California and 3% at California State University. In California’s private nonprofit institutions, international students make up 10% of total enrollment.

At the four-year undergraduate level, international students pay far more tuition than Californians do. For the 2025–26 academic year, nonresidents at UC (which includes international students and nonresident domestic students from other states) have the same base tuition cost ($13,602) as residents while also paying an additional $37,602 in supplemental tuition, for $51,204 total. At CSU, nonresidents pay $6,450 base tuition and supplemental tuition of $10,656, or $17,106 total. In general, the supplemental tuition paid by international students helps to lower tuition costs for many California residents.

In graduate programs, international students make up a more notable portion of total enrollment across California’s universities. Nearly a third of graduate students in the UC system (31%) are international, followed by 15% in private nonprofit institutions, and 11% in the CSU system. (Graduate tuition and how it is allocated varies considerably within and across institutions, making overall cost analyses more complex than it is for undergraduates.)

The number of international students enrolled in California’s four-year colleges and universities has fluctuated over time and across institutions.  Although these students have helped offset revenue shortfalls during state budget deficits, they also have been a focal point of discussion about access to college for California residents.

Over the last ten years, California has moved to limit the nonresident undergraduate population enrolled at the UC system to 18%. The system exceeded undergraduate enrollment targets for California residents in this past school year but fell short of its nonresident targets. The 2026–27 legislative budget—yet to be signed by the governor— allocates $31 million to UC in 2027-28, if the system decreases the number of nonresident undergraduate students by about 900 students. (CSU does not have concerns over the numbers of nonresident students in its system.)

California is navigating the current period of fiscal uncertainty with tempered optimism. The current budget proposal largely funds UC and CSU as requested but also extends several deferrals. Though these proposals will likely have limited short-term fiscal impact, they allow for a potential budget cut in the future.

Higher education leaders should monitor trends in accessibility, availability, and actual enrollment of international students alongside budgets, especially in UC graduate programs that disproportionately rely on tuition from these students. Together, state funding and federal policies will also influence whether international students at the undergraduate or graduate level transition to available jobs—which could have a meaningful impact on the state’s economy.

Going forward, California’s public institutions and their private, nonprofit peers will need to take stock of the role that international students play in the states’ capacity to deliver higher education and both facilitate and pursue innovative graduate research—as well as the impact these students have on the fiscal health of California universities.

An earlier version of this post was published on July 8, 2025.