Abstract
During the 2019-2020 school year, approximately 1,075,496 foreign students were enrolled in US colleges and universities, making the United States one of the most popular destinations for international students across the globe. With rising rates of annual admissions, there is concern about the barriers international students face while transitioning to colleges and universities, specifically California State University, Sacramento. The researchers hypothesize that international students seeking to pursue an education in the United States face challenges in adaptation. This research analysis used cross-cultural adaptation theory to analyze the transition issues international students face such as cross-cultural adaptation, mental health capacity, and social capital. This thesis assessed what challenges, if any, and barriers, if any, international students face when adapting to California State University, Sacramento. A quantitative analysis was used to gain insight on the cross-cultural adaptation process from international students from September 2022-December 2022. All the findings are related to one another and revealed the importance of supportive services offered to international students, and the importance of their culture being represented at the university. The following findings can inform the field of social practice how to best support international students studying at United States college universities.