OSU remains a top institution for international students

COLUMBUS – Ohio State University remains a top 10 destination for international students despite a slight decline in international student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities during the 2004-2005 academic year, according to Open Doors 2005, the annual report on international academic mobility published by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

According to IIE, Ohio State is ranked tenth nationally for the number of international students it hosts, with 4,140 international students enrolled for the 2004-2005 academic year.

"Students from other countries are an important part of a diverse learning environment and they contribute to the international prestige of our university," said Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook. "However, like many other institutions across the country, we have seen a decline in our international student population and it is a trend we are committed to reversing."

This fall, Ohio State experienced a drop in international student enrollment in its graduate school programs, which account for the majority of international enrollment, Holbrook said. She added that for the first time, the university is considering ways to actively recruit foreign students.

The slight overall decline in international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, including Ohio State, has been attributed to several factors, including real and perceived difficulties in obtaining student visas (especially in scientific and technical fields), rising U.S. tuition costs, vigorous recruitment activities by other English-speaking nations, and perceptions abroad that it is more difficult for international students to come to the United States. In addition, universities in students' home countries and other regional host countries have been increasing their capacity to provide a high quality education to a greater number of students, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

"To fulfill Ohio State's promise as a premier research university, we must enhance our ability to attract the best and the brightest students from all over the world," Holbrook said. "With their dominant interest in business and management, engineering, mathematics and computer science, these international students go on to make invaluable contributions to both the United States and their home countries."

The report lists the University of Southern California as the leading host institution with 6,846 students, followed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with 5,560 students. Other campuses hosting the most foreign students were the University of Texas at Austin, Columbia University, New York University, Purdue University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Boston University, and UCLA.

"Colleges and universities have been proactive in reaching out to international students to let them know that they are welcome here, "said Alan Goodman, President and CEO of IEE. "Strong recruitment, combined with more efficient and transparent student visa processes, have begun to stem the tide of decreasing international student enrollment. We need to continue these concerted efforts to get the word out that our doors are open to international students, in order to attract the best and the brightest students from all over the world."

The Institute of International Education (IIE), headquartered in New York City, is a global leader in the exchange of people and ideas. Founded in 1919, IIE is one of the world's largest and most experienced nonprofit international exchange organizations. Ohio State President Karen A. Holbrook serves on the IIE board of directors.

For more information and the complete IIE report, visit http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org