The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is once again a top destination for international students, according to data from this year’s Open Doors report. The report, released on Nov. 18 by the Institute of International Education (IIE), ranks the U. of I. second in the nation among public universities for the most international students.
Illinois also received special commendation in this year’s report with the Seal of Excellence Award for reporting its data to Open Doors for 75 years, starting in 1949.
“Illinois is drawing together international scholars to help bring diverse experiences and viewpoints to solving our greatest challenges,” said Chancellor Robert Jones. “Our pioneering research tackles problems at a global scale while our transformational education produces students who desire to change the world. And that commitment to a global learning environment creates tangible societal impacts that reverberate across our state, our country and for the world at large.”
The 2024 Open Doors data reports that 11,580 international students were enrolled during the 2023-2024 academic year — with an additional 3,796 participating in Optional Practical Training — for a grand total of 15,376 students. Optional Practical Training permits students to be employed in the United States for one to three years after completion of studies. International Student and Scholar Services also reported that university departments hosted 1,595 international faculty, staff and scholars for teaching, research and administrative positions as of October 2024.
“Fostering an educational environment that includes global perspectives and encourages the exploration of ideas without prejudice strengthens our capacity to prepare our students to be global problem solvers, conduct cutting-edge research with global impact, and serve our communities, nations, and the world,” said Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela, Associate Chancellor and Vice Provost for Global Affairs & Strategies. “We are very proud to welcome such a diverse and talented community of students, faculty, staff, and scholars from all over the world.”
Illinois continues to emphasize its commitment to furthering global engagement through teaching, research and engagement. Vision 2030 Global Strategy, a seven-year plan to enhance global learning and engagement, outlines the guiding strategic priorities that will support the university’s global impact.
Additionally, the Open Doors report includes data about the number of students studying abroad for academic credit. 1,507 Illinois students earned academic credit through the university’s 300 study abroad programs in 50 countries in 2022-2023.
Findings from the 2024 Open Doors report include:
Illinois is second among public institutions for international student enrollment and sixth in the nation overall with 15,376 students enrolled;
Almost a third of the top 25 list comprises Big Ten institutions, with the University of Illinois ranked second among its Big Ten peers for international student enrollment;
Students from India, China, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan and Vietnam make up the bulk of all international students in the United States;
Computer and Information Science, Engineering, Social Sciences, Biology and Liberal Arts and Sciences are among the top fields of study for international students.
Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Ireland and Japan were the top destinations for U.S. study abroad students in 2022-2023.
The Institute of International Education has conducted an annual census of international students in the United States since its founding in 1919. Open Doors has been published by the Institute since 1949 and has received support from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State since the 1970s. For more information on the IIE, visit http://www.iie.org/en.