U.S. law schools are experiencing a significant decline in international student applications for LL.M. programs, with a 14% drop reported this year.
U.S. law schools are witnessing a notable decrease in international student applications for Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs, with a reported 14% drop in the applicant pool. This decline is particularly pronounced among students from China and India, who traditionally represent the largest groups of LL.M. applicants. Data from the Law School Admission Council indicates that applications from China fell by 21%, while those from India decreased by 23%.
As enrollment figures for the upcoming academic year have yet to be released, experts suggest that the reduced applicant pool is likely to result in fewer international students attending U.S. law schools. Gisele Joachim, vice president for law school engagement at the Law School Admission Council, noted that delays or denials in student visa applications could further exacerbate the decline in international enrollment.
The drop in applications can be attributed to several factors. The previous administration’s stringent immigration policies, uncertainty surrounding the availability of student and work visas, and increasing competition from more affordable LL.M. programs abroad have all contributed to the trend. Joachim remarked, “There is a feeling that the United States, generally speaking, is maybe not as welcoming to international students as it used to be.”
At the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, assistant admissions dean Joseph Lindsay reported a 20% decrease in LL.M. applications, expressing doubt that the school would meet its target of 240 LL.M. students for the fall semester. Similarly, the University of Michigan Law School has seen a 30% decline in applications for its LL.M. program this year, following an 8% drop the previous year, according to senior assistant dean Sarah Zearfoss.
While law schools typically do not disclose acceptance rates for LL.M. programs, Zearfoss indicated that these rates remain relatively stable, largely due to the necessity of maintaining students’ English proficiency. “You don’t want to admit people who are not going to be able to do the work,” she explained.
The decline in international LL.M. applicants is part of a broader trend affecting graduate education in the United States. According to the Institute of International Education, international graduate student enrollment nationwide fell by 12% in the fall of 2025, contributing to an overall 1% reduction in international students.
A report released in April by Shorelight Education, an organization that assists universities in recruiting international students, revealed that the U.S. denied 35% of international student visa applications in 2025. This figure marks the highest denial rate in a decade, with students from Africa and Southeast Asia facing particularly high rates of rejection.
As a result of these challenges, many prospective students are considering alternatives outside the United States. Sylvia Polo, an admissions consultant with experience managing LL.M. programs at Columbia Law School and the University of Miami School of Law, noted that even before the return of Donald Trump to the White House, U.S. law schools were already contending with increased competition from less expensive LL.M. programs in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Europe. “I’ve had people say to me, ‘I always wanted to do an LL.M in the states, but now I want to do it in the U.K.,’” Polo said.
The implications of these trends are significant for U.S. law schools, which have long relied on international students to diversify their student bodies and enrich the academic environment. As the landscape of legal education evolves, institutions may need to adapt their strategies to attract and retain international talent.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how U.S. law schools will respond to these challenges and whether they can reverse the trend of declining international applications.
According to The American Bazaar, the future of international student enrollment in U.S. law schools hangs in the balance as various factors continue to influence prospective students’ decisions.