WASHINGTON (AP) — A program that allows foreign students to stay in the United States for temporary employment after graduation has expanded significantly over a dozen years as technical companies stepped up hiring of science and engineering majors, according to a report released Thursday.

The study by Pew Research Center in Washington comes as colleges and universities across the country struggle with falling enrollment by foreign students amid the Trump administration's anti-immigration rhetoric and policies.

In 2016, 172,000 foreign nationals who went to college or university in the U.S. go...