Notre Dame No. 1 in students overseas
Special to The Observer
Notre Dame has the highest percentage of students participating in study abroad programs among American research universities, according to a new report from the Institute of International Education (IIE).
For 2000-01, the most recent academic year for which statistics are available, 39.2 percent of Notre Dame students had participated in study programs in other countries. Yeshiva University in New York City is second with 38.8 percent, followed by Cornell (28.2), Duke (26.5) and Georgetown (26.5) universities.
With a total of 1,133 students who studied abroad, Notre Dame is among the 24 universities with more than 1,000 students who studied in another country. Michigan State University ranks first for the actual number of students (1,835) studying abroad but is 19th on a percentage basis at 19.2 percent.
Notre Dame offers international study programs in 17 nations: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, England, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Spain. The program in Israel has been suspended for the past two years due to violence in the region.
The IIE's report, titled "Open Doors 2001," showed an overall 7.4 percent increase from the previous year in the number of U.S. students participating in international study programs.
"I'm excited to see the continued growth in the numbers of American students studying overseas," said Patricia Harrison, assistant secretary for educational and cultural affairs in the U.S. State Department. "As the Open Doors report shows, more students are studying abroad than ever before, a sign that young Americans clearly recognize the crucial role they will play in leading our nation into a world even more connected than it is today."
As it has been for many years, Europe is the most popular destination for American college students. The leading destination for Notre Dame students is London, with some 150 participating each semester at the University's facility on Trafalgar Square.
All News Stories for Thursday, December 5, 2002
