Purdue News
Purdue NewsNovember 7, 1997
The Office of International Programs reports that total international undergraduate enrollment for 1997-98 is 1,296 students, or 4.5 percent of the undergraduate student body. In 1995, the undergraduate student population was 721 students, or 2.6 percent.
The largest increases have been in freshmen enrollment, which has nearly doubled in two years -- from 136 to 269.
Michael Stohl, dean of the Office of International Programs, said the Purdue community benefits from more contact with international students.
"International students bring the world to West Lafayette," he said. "While we would like all Purdue students to have the opportunity to study abroad, this is not possible. Thus international students on the Purdue campus provide opportunities for all students to become knowledgeable about the world's peoples.
"The experiences gained from interacting with peoples from different cultures is invaluable. The in-class, and out-of-class, contact enables students and staff alike to think globally and understand the variety of approaches to knowledge that may exist."
Total international enrollment on the West Lafayette campus stands at 3,266 students, up 374 from 1996. Students from overseas comprise 9 percent of the university's 35,715 students, and account for 63 percent of this year's overall enrollment increase.
"We've worked very hard as a staff and have succeeded in increasing enrollment of international undergraduate students," said Mike Brzezinski, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars, which coordinates the recruitment, admission and support services for international students at Purdue.
Brzezinski said collaborations between his office and Purdue's Office of Admissions have resulted in new admissions processes and international recruitment trips. Of special note was admission's advisory role in the production of International Student and Scholars' first-ever viewbook and recruitment video.
"Not only do we recruit, but we have to make sure immigration papers are in place and that financial matters are all in order," Brzezinski said. "These students can't come to the United States without proper immigration visas, they pay out-of-state tuition, and they are not eligible for federal or state financial aid."
Tuition and fees for out-of-state students are more than $11,000, compared to less than $3,500 for Indiana students.
Douglas Christiansen, director of admissions, said: "In years past, international students typically came to Purdue for science and engineering degrees. Now we are seeing an increase in the number of international students in virtually all of our schools. One of the university's goals has been to increase recruitment efforts for international scholars. These numbers prove we are moving in the right direction."
In addition to diversity in degrees, Purdue's international population comes from many different countries. The top 10 countries by enrollment (1996 enrollment figures in parenthesis) are:
Sources: Mike Brzezinski, (765) 494-7084; e-mail, mab@iss.purdue.edu
Douglas Christiansen, (765) 494-7014; e-mail, dlchristiansen@adms.purdue.edu
Michael Stohl, (765) 494-9399; e-mail, mstohl@ippu.purdue.edu
Writer: Jenny Pratt, (765) 496-3133; e-mail, jenny_pratt@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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