Purdue News
Purdue News
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November 9, 1998
Purdue No. 1 in international undergraduatesWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue has more international undergraduate students than any other research university in the nation, and it has the third-highest total international enrollment among all the public universities in the country, according to a report issued today (Monday, 11/9).Students from outside the United States now comprise about 10 percent of the Purdue University student population, and the 3,726 international Purdue students represent a 14 percent increase since last fall. Michael Stohl, dean of international programs, said it is especially significant that many of the new students are undergraduates. "We have worked especially hard to attract more students at the undergraduate level, and we're seeing the fruits of those efforts," Stohl said. "This fall 1,575 of our undergraduates were from other countries, twice as many as in 1995." The growth reflects the university's effort to internationalize the campus. "Our U.S. students will be working in a global environment, so we have a responsibility to help them learn about other cultures," Stohl said. "When your roommate, lab partner or fraternity brother is a person from another country, true understanding and appreciation of diversity develops." Asian students make up a large portion of Purdue's international enrollment, with 49 percent of the international students coming from eight Pacific rim countries. "In 1997-98, Purdue was the number two choice among all U.S. universities for students from China," Stohl said. Last fall, 559 students from the People's Republic of China attended Purdue. This fall, 601 Chinese students are enrolled. Enrollment is up even from countries hit hard by the Asian economic crisis: Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Thailand. Enrollment from those four countries was 556 in the fall of 1996; 718 in 1997; and 845 in 1998. Many students choose Purdue because of its strong international reputation, Stohl said. "Students from other countries are impressed with the quality of Purdue's academic programs," he said. "And over the past three years, International Students and Scholars has worked to improve the application process, from the means by which they make first contact to the actual processing of the application. The result has been not only a great increase in numbers and applications, but also a more efficient and speedy process. Those changes are the biggest reason for the increased international enrollment since 1995." Purdue also has started actively recruiting international students. During the past year, staff from International Students and Scholars and the admissions office met with high-school administrators and students in Asia, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. "We've had amazing results in a short time," said Robert L. Ringel, executive vice president for academic affairs. "International Students and Scholars and the Office of Admissions decided to start actively recruiting bachelor degree students outside the United States in December 1996. We had 37 additional international undergraduate students enroll this fall as a direct result of initial recruiting visits to Asia, Canada, Europe and Latin America. These students are drawn from their respective nations' most gifted high-school populations and are in general as fluent in English as U.S.-born students. "It will be several years before we see the full benefits of the student and school networks that have been established. However, we believe we have made successful inroads in the countries visited already, and we look forward to matriculating even more students in the future."
Sources: Michael Stohl, (765) 494-0614, e-mail, mstohl@ippu.purdue.edu Robert L. Ringel, (765) 494-9709 Writer: J. Michael Willis, (765) 494-0371; e-mail, mike_willis@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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