New York University remains one of the top American universities in both attracting international students and in sending students to study abroad, according to a new report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The report, “Open Doors 2008,” underscores the transformation of NYU as a “Global Network University”- it maintains study abroad sites on five continents that are fully integrated with each other and are connected to NYU in New York.

New York University remains one of the top American universities in both attracting international students and in sending students to study abroad, according to a new report by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The report, “Open Doors 2008,” underscores the transformation of NYU as a “Global Network University”- it maintains study abroad sites on five continents that are fully integrated with each other and are connected to NYU in New York.

NYU was the top institution in sending students to study abroad for academic credit (3,034). This is the sixth-consecutive year that NYU has been the top-ranked university in students who study abroad. It was followed by Michigan State University (2,801), the University of Texas-Austin (2,172), the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (2,079), and the University of Georgia (2,060). Data for U.S. students who study abroad are from the 2006-07 academic year.

NYU ranked second in attracting international students (6,404), trailing only the University of Southern California (7,189). They were followed by Columbia University (6,297), the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (5,933), and Purdue University (5,772). Data for international students who come to U.S. universities are from the 2007-08 academic year.

“Open Doors 2008” is the annual report on international education published by IIE with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The complete report may be obtained at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/

The number of international students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by 7 percent to a record high of 623,805 in the 2007-08 academic year. This growth builds on a 3 percent increase reported for 2006-07, and the total number now exceeds by 6 percent the previous all-time high of 586,323 reported in 2002-03. “Open Doors” data show an even stronger increase in the number of “new” international students-those enrolled for the first time at a U.S. college or university in fall 2007. New international student enrollments rose by 10 percent, following on increases of 10 percent and 8 percent for the previous two years.

The number of Americans studying abroad increased by 8 percent to a total of 241,791 in the 2006-07 academic year, according to the report. This latest increase marks a decade of unprecedented growth in the number of American students receiving academic credit for their overseas academic experience, with an increase of close to 150 percent, from under 100,000 in 1996-97 to nearly a quarter of a million in 2006-07.

International students contribute more than $15.5 billion to the U.S. economy, through their expenditures on tuition and living expenses, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

In 2009, NYU opens a study abroad site in Tel Aviv. In 2007, it announced the creation of NYU Abu Dhabi, which will consist of a highly selective liberal arts college, distinctive graduate programs, and a world center for advanced research and scholarship. For more on NYU’s study abroad and global programs, go to http://www.nyu.edu/global.

Press Contact