A study released this week by the Institute of International Education revealed a great increase in the number of international students attending U.S. universities, specifically those in the state of Virginia.
Virginia Tech took 2,578 international students for the 2011-12 school year, the most in the state. The University welcomed 2,141 international students, comprising about 11 percent of the undergraduate student body, according to the report. The report is produced annually in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
“Having international students as classmates and roommates helps U.S. students get broader global perspectives on the subjects being discussed in class,” said Peggy Blumenthal, senior counselor to the president of the institute, in an email. “It also promotes sharing of cultures in the informal interactions that happen outside of class. With only 14 percent of U.S. undergrads able to study abroad by the time they graduate, international students help internationalize the academic experience for American classmates and help prepare them for global careers.”
Close to a $22 billion industry, the business of international education is not comprised solely of educational services. It must also take into account legal status and dealings with homeland security, immigration law and student visas. The University’s International Studies office offers counseling to international students in these areas.
“As the profile and reputation of the University increases … with that we not only see an increase in the numbers of students, but they’re all coming from the very best schools,” said Richard Tanson, senior international student and scholar advisor. “It’s about expanding the Academical Village beyond Grounds, so that the Academical Village is in fact a global village.”
There have also been significant demographic changes in the international student body in recent years, Tanson said. “There has been a stasis with some of the larger sending countries like South Korea and India, but the largest increase in undergraduates are from China,” he said. “I remember the days where the number of Chinese undergraduates I could count on two hands,… now it’s [around] 600.”
Blumenthal said she expects the figures in the report to rise in the next few years. “The U.S. remains the destination of choice for international students worldwide,” she said. “America’s higher ed system is the most diverse in the world and able to offer a wide range of academic and cost options able to meet the needs of all types of students.”
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