Ohio State ranked in the top 20 nationally for international students and study abroad

COLUMBUS – The Ohio State University ranks as one of the nation's top 20 universities for its international student enrollment and the number of students studying abroad, according to a national report released today.

Ohio State is ranked 14th among the nation's colleges and universities for hosting 4,583* international students and 20th with 1,704 students studying abroad. Ohio State also ranks sixth in the nation with 1,449 students studying abroad on short-term programs. Short-term programs are defined as taking place during the summer, January term or for eight weeks or less during the academic year.

These findings were issued as part of the Open Doors 2009 report, an annual survey published by the Institute of International Education.

"As the importance of international and cultural exchange becomes an increasingly critical component of a student's education, Ohio State is developing a plan that will give us a presence in key locations around the world," said William I. Brustein, Ohio State's new vice provost for global strategies and international affairs. "Our national rankings provide us with a good foundation from which we can build."

Brustein recently joined Ohio State and is responsible for integrating international and multicultural experiences to the academic units within the university and expanding and enhancing its global reach.

He is developing plans for Ohio State to open "Global Gateways" that will serve as a central location in another country or region of the world where the university will be able to engage alumni, recruit international students, foster partnerships for faculty with universities abroad, and enhance study abroad opportunities for students. Ohio State would start with Global Gateways in China, India and Brazil.

Also part of Ohio State's strategy is to provide international learning experiences that will be based on global competency skills. "In today's world students need to be globally aware and familiar with global change," Brustein said. "They must be able to adapt to diverse cultures and be able to communicate across cultural boundaries. And students must be able to comprehend the international dimension of their field of study.

"We are preparing a strategy that will ensure our students will succeed in this new and changing global marketplace."

International students at Ohio State are from 119 different countries including, China (1,161); India (876); South Korea (820); Taiwan (272) and Indonesia (122). Nationally, the leading home countries for international students are India, China, South Korea, Japan and Canada.
The most popular destinations for Ohio State students to study abroad include: United Kingdom, Italy, China, France, Germany and Spain.

Nationally, the leading destinations for studying abroad are the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and China.

The Open Doors 2009 report is released as part of the nationwide observance of International Education Week (Nov. 16-20), a joint initiative established by the U.S. Departments of Education and State.

At Ohio State, the week is celebrated with a number of activities sponsored by the Office of International Affairs, which oversees Ohio State's study abroad programs and international student and scholar services. The office also advances high quality international education programs, scholarships and service activities to promote global opportunities for Ohio State, its faculty, staff and students. For more information, visit http://oia.osu.edu/
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* The IIE definition of international student expands on Ohio State's and includes two categories of students who are not currently enrolled in classes for credit. They include "Optional Practical Training" students who not currently taking classes, but are continuing their education through practical training in their field of study; and exchange students who are pursuing continuing (non-credit) education.