UB remains Top 25 destination for international students

UB, long known for its global student body, continues to move up the rankings as one of the top universities in the nation for hosting international students.

The Institute of International Education ranked UB No. 23 this year in its latest census of international students on U.S. college campuses.

This is the 21st straight year that UB has ranked among the Top 30 institutions in the annual Open Doors Report on International Education Exchange, which is considered a benchmark for higher education. UB ranked No. 25 on the list in 2022 and No. 27 in both 2021 and 2020.

“UB’s continued advance in the ranking of universities with the largest number of international students is very gratifying but not surprising, given our strong record in attracting excellent international students and supporting their success,” says Nojin Kwak, vice provost for international education.

The release of the report this week by the Washington, D.C.-based organization coincides with UB celebrating International Education Week, which runs from Nov. 13-17.

“This is an added reason to celebrate International Education Week and UB’s exceptional international community,” Kwak says. “We take great pride in our international students and all they contribute to UB.”

UB reported a total of 7,696 international students as of fall 2022, which includes more than 2,000 students who continued in the U.S. with postgraduate Optional Practical Training. OPT allows for a period of temporary employment in their field of study.

That total was up 14.5% from the previous year, as the number of international students has continued to climb after the COVID-19 pandemic allowed so few international students to travel to the U.S. during fall 2020.

In fact, across the U.S., the number of international students — including those on OPT — grew 11.5% from the previous fall to more than 1 million students, the report shows. It was the fastest growth rate in more than 40 years, with the number of international students who enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university soaring beyond pre-pandemic levels to near-record highs, according to the report.

“The Open Doors 2023 Report emphasizes that international education is resilient and also integral to universities and countries looking to support global innovation, collaboration and peace,” Allan E. Goodman, chief executive officer for the Institute of International Education, said in a prepared statement.

Other data points:

• International students at UB hail from 100 different countries around the world.
• The country that sent the most students to UB was India, at 4,951, followed by China, with 1,292.
• UB hosted the most international students among SUNY institutions.
• Among all universities in New York State, only New York, Columbia and Cornell universities hosted more international students than UB last fall.
• New York University had the largest international enrollment among all U.S. institutions with 24,496, followed by Northeastern University, 20,637; Columbia, 19,001; Arizona State University, 17,981; and University of Southern California, 17,264.