November 12, 2007

Purdue international enrollment ranks among highest in the nation

Purdue had 4,824 international students from 123 countries enrolled in 2006-07, only seven fewer than the previous year, said Michael Brzezinski, director of Purdue's Office of International Students and Scholars. Among all public and private universities, the University of Southern California enrolled the largest number of international students at 7,115. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked first among U.S. public institutions.

This fall, the number of international students enrolled at Purdue increased to 4,994. Of those, 434 were first-year freshmen, a record high, Brzezinski said. This is the third year that the university reached a record level of international freshman students, he said.

"Thanks to Purdue's growing reputation throughout the world and its recruiting efforts, we've not only increased the number of international students on campus, but also have kept our numbers high for graduate and professional students as well," he said. "Competition for these students has increased at universities throughout the world - we are pleased with our results."

This fall, 2,042 international undergraduate students enrolled at Purdue, an increase of 182 students from fall 2006.

The Institute of International Education's "Open Doors 2007," an annual report on international academic enrollment, reported that during 2006-07, 582,984 international students were enrolled in colleges and universities in the United States, a 3 percent increase from the previous year. The 2006-07 numbers are the most current available nationally.

For the sixth consecutive year, students from India comprise the highest number of international students attending Purdue and other U.S. institutions. China and South Korea round out the report's top three.

Purdue's makeup of international students reflected similarly, Brzezinski said. In the 2006-07 academic year, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, Canada, Pakistan and Japan made Purdue's top 10. While India remains in the top spot, there were a few changes to the top 10, with South Korea moving into second over China and Germany replacing Japan on the list.

According to the "Open Doors 2007" report, increases in international student enrollments were reported in nearly every state. Colleges and universities in California are the leading host state for international students. Indiana ranks 10th, with 14,450 international students enrolled, a 3 percent increase from the previous report.

Nationally, business is the leading field of study for international students, with 18 percent of the total, followed by engineering with 15 percent. At Purdue, engineering ranks No. 1 among international students. Science, management, liberal arts and agriculture rounds out the university's top areas of study selected by international students.

International students contribute approximately $14.5 billion to the U.S. economy through tuition and living expenses, according to the report. Approximately 66 percent of all international students' primary funding comes from sources outside the United States, such as personal and family sources, and assistance from their home countries' governments and universities.

"Open Doors" is published by the Institute of International Education with support from the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The survey includes almost 3,000 accredited U.S. institutions and has been conducted every year since 1949.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Michael Brzezinski, (765) 494-5770, mbrzezinski@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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