International students carry their flags through the Arches during the March Through the Arches event September 8, 2016.

St. Thomas' Study Abroad, International Enrollment Rankings Rise

The Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report 2017 recently released its annual report on international enrollment and U.S. students who study abroad during college.

St. Thomas jumped from eighth to sixth in the nation for undergraduate study abroad participation at doctoral schools. St. Thomas is fourth in the state for international enrollment, and second for international enrollment in doctorate schools in Minnesota.

"The Office of Study Abroad is thrilled with St. Thomas’ highest ranking ever in the doctoral category, and keeping excellent company with other national Catholic universities," said Sarah Spencer, director of study abroad. "This ranking is a testament to the strong collaboration with staff and faculty in support of all students’ global engagements. We are also proud to contribute to our One University and the St. Thomas 2020 strategic goals.”

Minnesota saw a decrease in study abroad participation, sending 8,577 students outside the United States in 2015-16, down from 8.958 the previous academic year.

Nationally, study abroad participation was up 3.8 percent with 325,339 American students studying internationally in 2015-16. The top countries of destination were the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Germany.

Total international enrollment across the country grew by 3.4 percent to 1,078,822 students, while the number of new international students enrolling for the first time in U.S. institutions fell by 3.3 percent (from 300,743 new students in 2015-16 to 290,836 in 2016-17).

Open Doors Report 2017 reports recent results for rankings of international students studying in the United States. With 15,389 international students studying in Minnesota in the 2016-17 academic year, Minnesota again ranked 19th in the nation for its total number of foreign students. This indicates a 3.0 percent increase over the previous academic year.

St. Thomas' international student enrollment continues to grow