International student enrollment (ISE) has become a hallmark of world-class higher education institutions (HEIs), particularly as global student mobility has grown exponentially worldwide in the last several decades. Although the United States (U.S.) has welcomed the largest numbers of international students since the 1950s, ISE shrunk by 10% in the previous three years from an all-time high of 903,127 students in 2016/2017 (IIE, 2019). A synthesis of research studies about international student mobility and enrollment highlights the significant role that academic and economic rationales play for international students who choose the United States. This quantitative, "ex post facto" study focused on how ranking, tuition, Optional Practical Training, Gross Domestic Product, and the unemployment rate connected to ISE at 2,884 U.S. HEIs from 2004 to 2019 through the examination of four research questions. Data were analyzed for two longitudinal research questions using time series regression, particularly an Arellano-Bond estimator for an autoregressive distributed lag model. Linear OLS regression was used for the remaining two research questions which analyzed the variables for the 2018/2019 academic year, including OPT. Data were also analyzed using Carnegie classification (CC) as a grouping variable to better understand how the predictors influenced different types of institutions. Results included that tuition was an important predictor of ISE, but it looked differently for different types of institutions. Higher ranking connected with higher ISE at doctoral institutions, but it was a deterrent at other institutions in the longitudinal analysis. This novel analysis of OPT showed that the number of students utilizing OPT was related to ISE, particularly at non-doctoral institutions. This study also provided evidence that an urban location is important for ISE. Implications include the importance of advocating for sustainable federal immigration and employment policies, that context and institutional type influence ISE trends, and HEIs should better support international students in the United States to meet their career goals. With the recent decline of ISE and the long-term effects that COVID-19 is likely to have, U.S. HEIs will have to think innovatively and holistically to continue to enroll large numbers of international students. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]