The Wharton School experienced a 5% decline in international student enrollment for its Master of Business Administration Class of 2027 as compared to the year prior.
According to recently released class profile data, international students comprise 26% of the current MBA class compared to the 31% in both the Class of 2026 and Class of 2025. The program's number of United States passport holders also increased this year by 3%.
The change in student demographics come amid months of immigration restrictions enacted by federal actions — including social media screening, visa revocations, and processing delays — that have unsettled Penn’s international student community.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, 1986 Wharton graduate Laurie Kopp Weingarten — who also serves as the president and chief educational consultant at One-Stop College Counseling — wrote that while the change “isn’t surprising” and likely reflects a temporary fluctuation as opposed to a long-term trend.
Kopp Weingarten acknowledged, however, that “visa uncertainty and shifting political climates” may help explain why prospective international students are “hesitant” to attend American business schools.
On Sept. 19, Penn’s International Student and Scholar Services warned H-1B visa holders to avoid international travel after 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump announced a $100,000 annual fee on new and renewable petitions.
“U.S. institutions, particularly those with brand names like Wharton, have always attracted strong international interest, but right now there is a lot of uncertainty about attending school in America,” Kopp Weingarten wrote. “Students are worried about the restrictive visa policies, post-graduation work opportunities in the US as a foreigner, and even the high cost of attending.”
A recent DP analysis found that Penn ranks first among the Ivy League universities in employing H-1B visa beneficiaries and could face over $11 million in additional fees each year under the new federal policy if it maintains its current sponsorship levels.
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Still, Kopp Weingarten cautioned against making sweeping assumptions based on a single year’s figures.
“Sometimes external factors discourage internationals from attending,” she added. “That said, I would view this year’s decline as more of a data point than a definite shift that will continue.”
Kopp Weingarten wrote that “unless U.S. policies continue to be significantly less welcoming, I would expect international representation at Wharton and other similar institutions to remain strong over time.”
The number of MBA applicants has increased steadily over the past three years.
The Class of 2027 represents 68 countries, with 44% of students identifying as women — continuing a three-year decline from 50% in the Class of 2025 and 47% in the Class of 2026.
12% of students in the Class of 2027 identify as LGBTQ+, a 1% increase from the previous two classes. 11% are first-generation college graduates, a percentile that has remained consistent over the past three years.
