In 2023, the number of Chinese students in the United States had dwindled to roughly 277,000 from its height of 373,000 in 2019.

Yet, despite a decline in numbers, Chinese students and their families continue to make significant contribution to the US economy by spending approximately $14.4 billion in the US in 2023, according to Julia Chang Bloch, executive chair of the US-China Education Trust.

That was about 30 percent of total US education exports and helped to create 143,000 jobs, she said.

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"International students and Chinese students fill STEM labs, enrich classrooms, launch startups, and create businesses," Bloch said on Friday at an online discussion organized by her organization and the US-China Business Council. "They are central to US competitiveness, from AI and semiconductors to energy and advanced manufacturing."

Amy Gadsden, executive director of Penn China Initiatives and associate vice-provost for global initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania, said that overall, international students have spent $43 billion in the US. At the calculation of $120,000 per job, that means about 358,000 jobs.

Gadsden added that 47 percent of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's faculty is foreign-born. "That's one of our top universities producing some of the greatest innovations and insights at the cutting edge of science."

Omar Chihane, general manager of TOEFL at Educational Testing Service in New Jersey, said that about 54 percent of international students are in the STEM field. "Many of today's entrepreneurs, engineers, researchers in the US begin their journey with TOEFL score."

He cited anecdotal data that about 15 percent of Meta's researchers and super-intelligence are from China, and 75 percent are first-generation immigrants.

However, Bloch said the US education system's attraction is waning as the Donald Trump administration announced that it will aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students.

Chihane said that while the US remains the most popular destination for TOEFL test-takers in China and internationally, he is observing a very distinct shift.

"More students are applying to multiple destinations, hedging their bets. So not just the US, but Canada, the UK, Australia, increasingly now Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

"This diversification isn't just about geopolitics. It reflects really a desire for certainty, respect and future opportunity. The US still holds a prestige advantage, but it can't rely on reputation alone."

Recommendation letters

Sean Stein, president of the US-China Business Council, observed a similar trend. He is asked to write recommendations for students applying to colleges every year.

"Last year, earlier this year, was the first time I've ever had students ask me to not just write letters for American universities, but for universities in Canada or in Australia. ...I do think that we're at risk of losing some of the best and brightest."

Stein said he witnessed one such example at a member company, which is a Silicon Valley startup and an industry leader in a certain type of specialized additive manufacturing technology.

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"The technology was developed by two graduate students out of Stanford, that both happened to be Chinese students. They developed the software, they developed the tech, and this company was built around them and the tech.

"They went home after OPT(optional practical training) back to China, and then were unable to get visas to return back to the United States to continue to work at the company despite being sponsored by the company for visas."

Even with the intervention of the US-China Business Council, the two Chinese nationals still cannot obtain a visa more than half year later. "Now the industry leader is in Shenzhen (in Guangdong province) and is not in Silicon Valley," Stein said.

Contact the writer at mayzhou@chinadailyusa.com