‘Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange’ again ranks UB among top 20 U.S. host universities

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The 2013 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, released this week in Washington, D.C. by the Institute of International Education, announced that for the 11th year in a row that the University at Buffalo is among the top 20 U.S. institutions hosting international students.

With 5,804 international students enrolled in the 2012-13 academic year, UB is ranked 18th among the 380 American colleges and universities surveyed. Last year, UB placed 19th with a total international enrollment of 5,357.

“UB is a global university. The excellence of our programs is recognized within the U.S. and abroad,” says Charles F. Zukoski, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “We are proud to welcome international students from 100 countries to live, learn, teach and create new knowledge at our great university.”

Of the 50 states, New York with a total international enrollment of 88,250, ranks second in the nation for international student enrollment, up 7.1 percent from last year. The majority of the U.S. schools ranked in the top 20 are state universities, but UB is the only SUNY institution in the top 20. 

UB is ranked third in New York State for the highest number of international students. The largest numbers of international students come to UB from China, India, South Korea, Canada and Malaysia.

The 2012-13 data regarding the contribution by international students at UB to the Western New York economy have not yet been released by NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, but in 2011-12, they were conservatively estimated to have contributed $108 million.

“The continued growth in UB’s international enrollment as part of our overall enrollment plan is a tribute to the excellent programs UB offers and the outstanding work of our international enrollment management team,” says Stephen Dunnett, vice provost for international education.

“Our community of international students from around the world plays an important role in our efforts in UB 2020 to internationalize the campus and provide international experiences to all UB students,” he says.

The primary sources of funding for international students were personal and family funds (64 percent), with 21 percent of their funding coming from a U.S. college or university, 7 percent from a foreign government or university, and 9 percent from other sources. 

The estimated expenditures in New York State by foreign students and their families in the 2013-14 academic year was more than $2.8 billion (estimate produced by NAFSA) and the students supported 35,211 jobs in the state.

Nationally, 819,000 international students and their families contributed more than $23.9 billion to the U.S. economy and supported 312,361 jobs.

The Open Doors Report offers a detailed analysis of the status of international student exchange. It is published by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. The IIE has conducted an annual statistical survey of the international students in the United States since 1919.

The report notes increases in the number of students from 17 of the top 25 places of origin, including Brazil, China, Saudi Arabia, France, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam.

“At the same time,” the report states, “numbers declined from several major sending countries, including India (down 3.5 percent), South Korea (down 2.3 percent) and Japan (down 2 percent). The factors driving these declines may include global and home country economic factors, growing higher education opportunities at home and stronger employment opportunities at home after graduation.”