UB’s international enrollment among tops in U.S.

International enrollment has continued to grow at UB, which remains among the top 25 destinations in the U.S. for international students.

That’s according to the latest census by the Institute of International Education, which ranked UB No. 24 among the nation’s colleges and universities hosting international students during the 2023-24 academic year.

“We are delighted that UB continues to rank in the Top 25 among leading U.S. institutions enrolling the most international students,” says Nojin Kwak, vice provost for international education. “UB continues to be a highly regarded destination for excellent students around the world.”

This is the 22nd straight year that UB has been listed among the top 30 institutions in the institute’s “Open Doors Report on International Exchange.” The annual report is considered a benchmark for higher education.

UB came in at No. 23 in last year’s report, No. 25 in 2022 and No. 27 in both 2021 and 2020.

UB reported a total of 8,380 international students from 100 countries during the fall of 2023, with students from India and China leading the way, the latest report shows.

That includes the 3,180 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.

“The increase we reported for this year — 684 students — is nearly 9% above the previous year’s total,” Kwak says. “This increase is well above the national average of 6.6%.”

The increases at UB were part of a national trend where international enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities reached an all-time high of more than 1.1 million last fall.

New York University had the largest international enrollment among U.S. institutions with 27,247, followed by Northeastern, 21,023; Columbia, 20,321; Arizona State; 18,430; and the University of Southern California, 17,469.

Among all universities in New York State, only NYU, Columbia and Cornell universities hosted more international students than UB last fall.

However, much of the increase — both nationally and at UB — was driven not by new international students, but by a surge in graduates participating in optional practical training.

At UB, John Wood, senior associate vice provost for international education, notes efforts by the Office of International Admissions to expand overseas recruitment to new areas, like Africa, where the market is growing.

“This should help UB maintain and diversify its large international enrollment,” Wood says.

The release of this year’s Open Doors report on Nov. 18 coincided with International Education Week, an annual initiative of the U.S. departments of State and Education to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange.

In a separate, but related report, NAFSA: Association of International Educators estimated that international students at UB contributed $223 million to the local economy and supported 1,942 jobs during the 2023-24 academic year.