16
November
2015
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02:44 AM
America/New_York

Ohio State ranked in top 10 in U.S. for study abroad and top 15 for international students

Orbicella faveolata, also known as boulder coral or mountainous star coral, in a Caribbean coral reef. Researchers have discovered that this species of coral is able to withstand repeated heat stress, known as "bleaching," in part because of fat it stores in its body. Image by Verena Schoepf, University of Western Australia.
Orbicella faveolata, also known as boulder coral or mountainous star coral, in a Caribbean coral reef. Researchers have discovered that this species of coral is able to withstand repeated heat stress, known as "bleaching," in part because of fat it stores in its body. Image by Verena Schoepf, University of Western Australia.
Orbicella faveolata, also known as boulder coral or mountainous star coral, in a Caribbean coral reef. Researchers have discovered that this species of coral is able to withstand repeated heat stress, known as "bleaching," in part because of fat it stores in its body. Image by Verena Schoepf, University of Western Australia.
Orbicella faveolata, also known as boulder coral or mountainous star coral, in a Caribbean coral reef. Researchers have discovered that this species of coral is able to withstand repeated heat stress, known as "bleaching," in part because of fat it stores in its body. Image by Verena Schoepf, University of Western Australia.

The Ohio State University is ranked in the top 10 nationally among doctoral institutions for the number of students studying abroad and is in the top 15 for its international student enrollment, according to a national report released today.

Ohio State ranks 7th among the nation’s colleges and universities with 2,539 students studying abroad in 2013-14, a 12.5 percent increase over the previous year. Ohio State ranks 2nd in the nation for the number of students participating in short-term programs with 2,493 studying abroad for one to eight weeks during the academic year.

Ohio State ranks 14th in the nation with 7,121* international students enrolled in 2014, an increase of 4.7 percent.

These findings were issued as part of the 2015 Open Doors Report, an annual survey published by the Institute of International Education in partnership with the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Participation in study abroad at Ohio State continues to steadily grow as a result of a few key factors. Ohio State developed new and innovative programming geared toward first and second year students, instituted a university-wide commitment to make international opportunities more accessible to diverse student populations and offered close to 60 study abroad opportunities during May session. Close to 850 of the 2,359 students that studied abroad in 2013-14 took advantage of the four-week May session programs.

“May session provides students with an opportune moment in their college career to study abroad and gain international experience in their field of study or complete General Education requirements,” said William Brustein, vice provost for global strategies and international affairs. “Students can now more easily gain international knowledge and perspective and still have time over summer break to take advantage of internships and other types of professional experience that will prepare them for their future careers.”

The slight increase in international student enrollment follows the university’s strategy of steady growth to ensure the quality of its applicants continues to rise. Ohio State enrolled 6,800 international students in 2013.

“Our recruitment strategy is geared toward gradual growth in our international student population to ensure we have enhanced programming in place that will help our students adapt to a new cultural environment, while supporting their academic success at Ohio State,” Brustein said.

International students at Ohio State hail from 110 different countries including, China (4,352); India (774); South Korea (508); Malaysia (186) and Taiwan (169). Nationally, the leading home countries for international students are China, India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Canada.

The top fields of study at Ohio State for international students include engineering, business, social sciences, biomedical and biological sciences, and mathematics and statistics, similar to the national trend.

The most popular destinations for Ohio State students to study abroad include the United Kingdom, Honduras, China, Australia and Italy. Nationally, the leading destinations for studying abroad are the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and China. Ohio State students studied abroad in 85 different countries during the 2013-14 academic year.

The top fields of study for Ohio State students studying abroad are business and management, health sciences, biological and biomedical sciences, agriculture and social sciences, whereas the national trend records science, technology, engineering and mathematics, business, social sciences, and foreign language and international studies.

The 2015 Open Doors Report is released as part of the nationwide observance of International Education Week (November 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 supported 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/

* The IIE’s collection of enrollment data for international students includes two categories of students who are not currently enrolled at Ohio State in classes for credit. They include “Optional Practical Training” students who are not taking classes, but are continuing their education through practical training in their field of study, and exchange students who are pursuing continuing (non-degree) education.