Report ranks Purdue among top 10 universities for international student enrollment

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University is among the top 10 institutions in the U.S. for attracting international students, according to a new national ranking. The 2024 Open Doors Report, issued Tuesday (Nov. 19) by the Institute of International Education (IIE), ranks Purdue No. 9 among 4,500-plus public and private universities, and it places Purdue at No. 24 among all U.S. institutions in number of study abroad students.

Based on fall semester enrollment and optional training data for the 2023-24 academic year, the report shows Purdue had a total of 12,181 students enrolled from abroad, representing 130 countries and marking a 6.2% increase over the previous year.

“Our international students are vital to the vibrancy and success of our campus community and to our state’s economy,” said Heidi Arola, assistant vice president of global partnerships and programs. “Welcoming students from around the world strengthens our institutions, provides critical learning experiences for all students, and prepares them to thrive in an interconnected world.”

The university’s international student enrollment rankings, based on the 2024 Open Doors Report, are:

• No. 9 among 4,500-plus public and private institutions
• No. 4 among all U.S. public universities

The report is a comprehensive account of international students in the U.S. and American students studying abroad.

IIE launched in 1948 as the first private organization facilitating international exchanges. Purdue partnered with the organization beginning in 1949 and welcomed 218 international students that year. This year, Purdue is celebrating its 75th year of collaboration with IIE.

Based on Purdue enrollment data collected during the fall 2024 semester, the international student body accounts for 17.2% of the total number of students enrolled at Purdue University. International students compose 10% of the total undergraduate body, while international students account for 40% of all graduate and professional students.

The College of Science has the highest percentage of students from abroad, accounting for 24.4% of Purdue’s total international enrollment by discipline. The College of Engineering is second with 22.4 %, followed by the Mitch Daniels School of Business with 17.6%, Purdue Polytechnic Institute with 15% and the College of Agriculture with 12.7%.

Purdue’s international students and their families also generate economic value for Indiana and for Purdue. According to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, the Purdue population of international students and their families brought an estimated $340 million to the state’s economy annually, supporting 3,399 jobs. Statewide, international students account for $890.2 million and support 8,297 jobs.

Purdue also employs and hosts 1,585 international faculty, researchers and staff, who represent 85 nations.

In addition, the university creates opportunities for Boilermakers to study abroad. The 2024 Open Doors report ranks Purdue No. 24 among all U.S. institutions, with 1,950 U.S. students studying internationally for credit in 2022-23. Notably, 599 more Purdue students studied abroad than in the previous year (1,351).

The 2024 Open Doors Report is released as part of the nationwide observance of International Education Week (Nov. 18-22), a joint initiative established by the U.S. State Department and Department of Education and is celebrated at Purdue through a variety of activities.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research institution demonstrating excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities and with two colleges in the top four in the United States, Purdue discovers and disseminates knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 105,000 students study at Purdue across modalities and locations, including nearly 50,000 in person on the West Lafayette campus. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its first comprehensive urban campus in Indianapolis, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.