A 2026 report by the U.S.-China Education Trust (USCET) found that fewer than 2,000 American students are currently studying in China, down more than 80 percent from approximately 11,000 in 2019. The number peaked at around 15,000 during the 2011–2012 academic year before plunging during the COVID-19 pandemic, when China’s border restrictions reduced the U.S. student population to as few as 300–350.
The report says the sustained decline reflects more than the lingering effects of the pandemic. It attributes the downturn to deteriorating U.S.-China relations, intensifying strategic competition in areas such as defense and technology, China’s national security policies, exit bans, and growing concerns over personal safety. According to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors data, the number of American students in China rebounded to about 1,749 in the 2023–2024 academic year but has remained below 2,000, far below pre-pandemic levels.
Former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns warned that if the trend continues, the United States could face a serious shortage of China specialists over the next decade. He argued that a shrinking pool of Americans with firsthand knowledge of China’s language, culture, society, and political system would weaken the ability of the U.S. government, businesses, and academic institutions to understand China and formulate effective policies.
Source: Epoch Times, July 23, 2026
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/26/7/22/n14815062.htm