This fall, International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) welcomed an all-time campus record of 3,360 new international students, despite national trends showing a decrease in arriving international students. This record-breaking incoming class helped the overall number of enrolled international students rise to the second highest the campus has ever seen, with Fall 2019’s number of 10,610 topped only by Fall 2017’s 10,834. Graduate students account for approximately 52.5% (5,572) of this international enrollment, outnumbering undergraduate students for a second consecutive year. Undergraduate students make up 47.5% (5,038) of the international student enrollment, which means both populations are over 5,000 for the fourth consecutive year.
Our students represent 113 countries, with 87% of students coming from Asia which is consistent with recent years. The top five countries of origin remain the same as last year and are China (5,738), India (1,483), South Korea (917), Taiwan (391), and Indonesia (137). Of specific note this year is the continued growth in students from the continent of Africa, which is up 35% over the past two years. From July 2018 through June 2019, the University of Illinois welcomed 2,003 international faculty and staff to its campus, the fifth consecutive year this number has exceeded 2,000. 28% were working and researching in Liberal Arts and Sciences, followed by 24% in Engineering, increases for both these colleges. The most represented country was again China, with 987 faculty and staff, followed by India (167), South Korea (131), and Brazil (100). ISSS remains honored to serve so many talented international students, faculty and staff at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and they look forward to continuing to work with a population that is integral to the success of our campus.