The Institute of International Education released its annual "Open Doors" report yesterday, which placed the University at number 10 on its list of Top 20 Institutions by Carnegie Type, which takes into account factors such as student population, school size and undergraduate programs.
The list ranked universities based on the number of students that studied abroad in the 2004-05 academic year within a certain classification of higher education institutions that is set by the Carnegie Foundation, said Daniel Obst, director of membership and higher education services at IIE.
Among the other schools that ranked above the University were New York University, Michigan State University, University of Texas at Austin and Penn State University.
In last year's "Open Doors" report, the University was ranked 17, said Marina Markot, University associate director of study abroad.
Markot said the International Studies Office has been preparing numbers for the 2005-06 academic year, which are higher than the previous year.
Markot attributed this rise in numbers to an increase in student interest to study abroad.
"Many students come to colleges already wanting to study abroad," she said. "They know that such an opportunity exists and they are very proactive. ... They are really interested in the world outside the borders" of the United States.
The report also listed the most popular destinations for students to study abroad. Of the top 20 countries, 11 were non-traditional destinations outside of Western Europe, Obst said.
The United Kingdom was the most popular destination, a temporary home to 16 percent of all students studying abroad. But within recent years, especially after Sept. 11, other non-traditional locations such as India and China have begun to move into the top 20 destinations, Obst said.
Asia "is definitely a professional region," he said. "India and China are hot markets right now ... and I think this carries over to the students."
The University offers programs in China and is the only higher education institution in the nation that offers a study abroad program at the University of Tibet, Markot said.
"I think U.Va. students, compared to other universities where I've worked previously ... are more interested in non-traditional destinations," Markot said. "They are very adventurous."
Markot said there are a "multitude" of options for those students who are hesitant to study abroad because of language barriers.
One option is for students to take classes in English in non-English speaking countries while learning the native language, she said.
"There's really a wide range [of destinations] and I think that's a pretty good way to describe U.Va. study abroad overall," Markot said.
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