Augustana College rocketed from 24th place to a tie for sixth on the federal 2024 Open Doors Report list among baccalaureate colleges for the number of international students it enrolls.
Gauri Pitale, Augustana’s vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, celebrated the 2023-24 ranking and the surge in first-year international students that helped the award-winning Rock Island-based liberal arts college pull even with Denison University, Granville, Ohio, in sixth place.
“Augustana’s commitment to diversity and success for students of all backgrounds is shown every day in the programs and the support we offer,” she said in an Augustana news release. “We’re thrilled to continue to be an attractive place for learners from across the globe to achieve their academic and life goals at Augustana.”
In all, Augustana’s student body includes 20% international students. That’s up dramatically from 11.9% in 2020. This fall the college also enrolled 165 international first-year students. They make up an unprecedented 25% of the first-year cohort, Augustana reported in a news release.
That’s a huge increase from 149 international first-year students admitted the year before. Top represented countries include Ethiopia, Morocco, Nepal, Vietnam and Pakistan.
President Andrea Talentino said in the release that Augustana’s international students are a vital part of the college’s vibrant community. “This fall we welcomed new and transfer students from 26 states and 33 countries,” she said. “The life experiences of both our international and domestic students are enriched by learning and living together. We’re proud to continue our commitment to all students in preparing them for a diverse and changing world.”
Enrollment up nationwide
The Open Doors report also said that the number of international students at U.S. colleges and universities had reached an all-time high in 2023-24, with more than 1.1 million international students enrolled. That’s a 7% increase from the previous academic year.
According to the report, international students accounted for 6% of the total U.S. higher education population. The U.S. Department of Commerce notes international students contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023.
Augustana’s Office of International Student and Scholar Services and Office of Student Inclusion and Diversity provide support and engagement opportunities for international students, students of color and the entire campus community. Programming includes International Education Week, International Student Orientation, cultural market trips, cooking classes, the PACE Multicultural Mentorship Program and the Culture Houses Block Party.
In this year’s Open Doors report, Augustana ranks among Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass.; Barnard College, New York, N.Y.; DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.; and Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. Only one other Illinois school made the list, Lake Forest College.
More information is available at opendoorsdata.org/annual-release/international-students/
