UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State continues a strong standing as one of the top 25 institutions hosting international students in 2014-15, with 7,728 students at the University Park campus, in addition to several more thousand across the Commonwealth, according to the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) annual Open Doors report.
“We are committed to realizing the ideals of the Global Penn State,” said Michael Adewumi, vice provost for Global Programs. “This means that Penn State is attracting thousands of top students and scholars from around the world and sending out thousands of our students and scholars to hundreds of destinations around the world for scholastic engagements and cultural immersion; this helps to prepare our graduates for global competitiveness and leadership.”
In 2015, the continued growth of numbers of international students coming to the U.S. for higher education had significant positive economic impact on the United States, contributing more than $30.5 billion to the economy, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Penn State remains the number one receiving institution in Pennsylvania, but lost ranking in sending students abroad. Nationally, one in ten U.S. undergraduates will study abroad before graduating, according to IIE.
“It’s encouraging to again see steady growth in the number of students who pursue education abroad programs to enhance their studies. At Penn State we continue to partner with faculty to develop engaging and academically focused programs for our students, which results in thousands of Penn Staters across the University gaining global perspective through study, internships and service learning abroad every year,” said Brian Brubaker, director of Penn State's education abroad programs. “It’s important that our students develop a global mindset, and hosting a large international student population in addition to a wide variety of education abroad programs are two of the most essential elements in accomplishing this.”
The Open Doors report is published annually by the Institute of International Education (IIE), an independent not-for-profit organization with a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide, and more than 1,200 member institutions.
The release of the report came during International Education Week (IEW) in November, a joint, annual initiative of the U.S. Department of State and Department of Education that aims to promote international understanding and build support for international educational exchange by encouraging the development of programs that prepare Americans to live and work in a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study in the U.S.
Penn State’s Global Programs hosted an IEW launch party on Nov. 13, with more than 400 international and American students showcasing 13 performances around the world. State College mayor Elizabeth Goreham kicked off the evening in the packed Alumni Hall at the HUB. University Park hosted more than 50 events throughout the week.