Michigan State University officials are expecting fewer international students this fall after years of growth.
Jim Cotter, MSU's director of admissions, says applications for international students are down by 4.5%.
He says that fewer Chinese students sent in applications this year, which contributes greatly to the overall reduction.
"China is our greatest international feeder, so when that number declined, it made a more significant impact," Cotter said.
In the fall of 2014, 4,733 Chinese students were enrolled at MSU, about 62 percent of the total number of international students.
He says that a variety of factors could be affecting the decline in international applications, including the drops in the Chinese stock market.
MSU had the most international students in Michigan in 2013-2014 year.
Cotter says that despite the decline in applications from international students, overall, MSU had a record number of applications.
He also points out that they have seen more students apply from different countries.
"India is up about 23% in applications this year. That is a much smaller base than China, but it does indicate significant growth," Cotter said.
MSU expects at least 13% of the incoming class to be international students.
