Ohio colleges attracting more international students

State now ranks No. 8 nationally

11/11/2013

COLUMBUS — More international students are going to college in Ohio, according to a new report.

International students studying at Ohio colleges increased 7.5 percent — to more than 28,401 — for the 2012-13 school year, according to the report released today by the Institute of International Education.

The number puts Ohio at No. 8 nationally, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

According to the report, the leading country of origin for foreign students in Ohio was China, which provided 41 percent of all international students. India and Saudi Arabia were next.

Ohio State University in Columbus ranked 15th nationally for attracting international students, with 6,478 international students in 2012-13.

Other Ohio colleges with large numbers of foreign students were the University of Cincinnati (2,939), Kent State University (2,406), Ohio University (1,890) and the University of Toledo (1,887).

Forty percent more international students were studying at U.S. schools last school year than a decade ago, said Allan E. Goodman, the institute’s president.

The number of Ohio college students who studied abroad remained roughly the same. When it comes to sending students abroad, Ohio State ranked 25th nationally.

The number of international students at U.S. colleges increased 7 percent last school year to a record 819,644, according to the annual “Open Doors” report published by the Institute of International Education, with support from the U.S. State Department.

“International students enrich classrooms, campuses and communities in ways that endure long after students return to their home countries,” said Evan M. Ryan, assistant U.S. secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs.