Securing America’s Innovative Edge: How International Students Help Americans Succeed

Written By Jill Welch

America became #1 by attracting the world's best minds.
What happens if we lose our competitive edge?

On July 21, the U.S. for Success Coalition brought together experts, educators, thought leaders, and congressional staff for a bipartisan briefing on why ensuring the U.S. remains the destination of choice for international talent is not just good policy—it's essential for the U.S. to maintain its leading edge in innovation.

The briefing highlighted the many ways that international students help Americans succeed by expanding educational opportunities for U.S. students, creating jobs, driving American innovation, filling critical skills gaps, and contributing to local economies each year.

Featured experts included renowned economist Michael Clemens, professor of economics and founding faculty at the School of Government and Policy at Johns Hopkins University, and Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics; and Mark Elsesser, science policy expert and Director of Public Affairs at the American Physical Society. Both underscored how welcoming global talent is a strategic investment in America's future prosperity.

The briefing—sponsored by the coalition’s Executive Committee and co-hosted by bipartisan members of Congress —highlighted long-standing and increasingly urgent bipartisan support for modernizing our immigration system to keep the United States the world's leader in innovation and education.

Congressional staff detailed how two pieces of pending legislation—the Keep Innovators in America Act (H.R. 8013) and the Unleashing American Prosperity and Competitiveness provisions of the Dignity Act (H.R. 4393)—would help the U.S. maintain its position as the top destination for the world's best and brightest.

Key Takeaways:

  • International students strengthen America's global competitiveness. Attracting and retaining top international students helps America stay ahead in science, technology, and innovation, rather than losing talent to other countries. When students are educated in American universities and then sent home, they often end up competing with U.S. industries instead of contributing to them—policy changes are needed to make it easier for these graduates to stay.

  • Research shows that for every three international students studying in the U.S., one new job is created for Americans. These students contribute nearly $43 billion annually to the U.S. economy, spread across congressional districts in every U.S. state, supporting more than 355,000 U.S. jobs across education, technology, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors. Most importantly, these students bring local economic benefits. View how much international students contribute to your local congressional district here.

  • As important as this revenue is for our local economies, it is just a fraction of their true value.  The best available economic research suggests that, within 10 years, the estimated cost of losing one-third of international students in STEM fields from U.S. universities would result in long-term GDP losses of $240 to $481 billion annually.

  • Nearly half of U.S. startups valued at $1 billion or more have at least one immigrant founder, and nearly 1 in 4 first came here as international students. These companies are creating American jobs and driving innovation that benefits Americans.

  • International students invest in America—not the other way around. International students receive no federal financial aid, yet their tuition helps lower costs and expand opportunities for domestic students at universities nationwide.Every international student who studies in the U.S. creates two spots for American undergraduate students.

  • The global race for talent is tightening. The U.S. is currently the #1 destination for the world's best and brightest; competitors like China and the European Union have modernized their visa systems to attract and retain skilled graduates. Without similar updates, experts warned, the U.S. risks losing top talent to competitors.

  • Policy modernization is essential. Speakers emphasized the importance of maintaining experiential learning programs like Optional Practical Training (OPT) and advancing reforms like those included in the Keep Innovators in America Act and the Dignity Act, which would help retain international graduates and strengthen America's long-term economic and security interest

Five Facts You Should Know: 

  1. The U.S. is currently the #1 destination for the world’s most talented international students, but competition for global talent is increasing, and we must make it a national priority to attract and retain them if we’re to maintain our innovative edge.

  2. Every international undergraduate helps fund two American student seats in public universities.

  3. What’s more, they do all of this without receiving any federal financial aid; their presence actually helps to lower costs and create more opportunities for U.S. students. We have a shortage of Americans choosing to study in the STEM fields, so international students who enroll in these programs keep them sustainable for Americans who want to study in them. 

  4. For every three international students who study in the U.S., one new American job is created. International students help local economies with their spending on food, groceries, retail, transportation, rent, and more. 

  5. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans from both parties support welcoming international students. There is widespread bipartisan agreement on the importance of attracting and retaining students from around the world. Most Americans (79%) think it’s good for U.S. colleges and universities to accept international students. That includes majorities of both Republicans and Democrats, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in September 2025. 

Call-to-Action - What Congress Can Do: 

  1. Cosponsor the Keep Innovators in America Act (H.R. 8013), supporting provisions that protect the pipeline of talent in America. Learn more for Rep. Sam Liccardo, Rep. Obernolte, and Rep. Krishnamoorthi.

Rep. Sam Liccardo on the Keep Innovators in America Act: 

“We have a choice: educate the best and brightest students in the U.S. to help America succeed, or send them home to China, India, and other rivals to launch companies to compete against us,” said Liccardo. “Only by cultivating the expertise grown here can we keep the U.S. competitive, so I’m proud to work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to sustain the OPT program for years into the future.”

Rep. Jay Obernolte on the Keep Innovators in America Act:

“Codifying the Optional Practical Training program provides needed clarity and accountability for a program that allows students to gain practical experience in their field of study. At a time of intensifying global competition, it is not in our national interest to educate the world’s most talented students in American institutions only to send them abroad to compete with us,” said Obernolte. “This legislation ensures that we can retain top talent in critical fields on a temporary basis while strengthening American innovation and maintaining strong oversight and respect for our immigration laws.”


2. Cosponsor the Dignity Act of 2025 (H.R. 4393), supporting the provisions that “Unleash American Prosperity and Competitiveness.”  Learn more from Rep. Salazar and Rep. Escobar. 

Representative Veronica Escobar on the Dignity Act: 

“Immigrants help sustain our economy and our communities – not just in El Paso, but across the Country. The Dignity Act reforms our outdated immigration system to ensure our economy remains competitive and the U.S. remains the #1 destination for talented students from all parts of the world.”

Representative Maria Salazar on the Dignity Act: 

"When we educate people in our universities and send them home to compete with us, America loses. We need to change U.S. policy to make it easier to keep these graduates here in America. The Dignity Act's provisions on unleashing American prosperity and competitiveness are aimed at attracting and retaining talented individuals to contribute to the American economy and advance innovation."


Resources You Can Use: 

What’s at Stake if We Don’t Remain #1:

Data on How International Students Help Americans to Succeed:

Policy Briefs and Legislative Solutions:

About the U.S. for Success Coalition: 

The U.S. for Success Coalition is a multi-sector coalition of more than 50 leading organizations uniting to advance smart federal policies to attract and retain international students—thus fueling America’s innovation, workforce, and global edge. When international students choose the U.S. to study, live, and work - we all win. 



Jill Welch
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