UB ranked in Top 20 for international students last year

UB rose among the ranks of colleges and universities hosting international students, climbing four spots last year to No. 20 in the nation, according to the latest census by the Institute of International Education.

UB reported a total of 9,033 international students from 106 countries in the fall of 2024. That was up 7.8% from the year prior.

The figures include the 4,035 UB students who continued in the U.S. with postgraduate optional practical training. OPT allows for a period of temporary employment in their field of study.

“UB’s rise to No. 20 nationally highlights the university’s strong global reputation and our continued success in attracting top international talent,” says Nojin Kwak, vice provost for international education. “International students enrich our campus academically, culturally and economically, and they play a vital role in UB’s mission as a world-class public research university.”

This is the 23rd straight year that UB has been listed among the top 30 in the institute’s “Open Doors Report on International Exchange.” The annual report is considered a benchmark for higher education.

UB came in at No. 24 in last year’s report; No. 23 in 2023; No. 25 in 2022; and No. 27 in both 2021 and 2020.

Nationally, U.S. colleges and universities hosted 1.2 million international students during the 2024-25 academic year, the latest figures available. That’s a 5% increase from the previous year, according to the report.

But based on a snapshot of this fall, the report projects a 17% drop in new international students enrolling at U.S. colleges and universities for the first time and a 12% decrease in international graduate students. Both contributed to a 1% overall decline in the nation’s international college enrollment this fall, according to the report’s sampling of 825 U.S. institutions.

UB experienced similar shifts this fall, with graduate enrollment moderating after several years of historic growth and undergraduate international enrollment continuing to rise.

“UB’s current enrollment trends are fully aligned with what institutions across the country are seeing,” notes Christopher Connor, vice provost for enrollment management.

“The Open Doors report reflects our long-term momentum, while the fall 2025 data shows the normalization of graduate enrollment nationally following several extraordinary, post-pandemic cohort years,” Connor explains.

UB continues to strengthen global partnerships, expand recruitment initiatives and invest in services that support international students, from application to graduation and beyond. The university remains committed to fostering a globally diverse campus community and advancing its mission as a leading international research university.

The release of this year’s Open Doors report on Nov. 17 coincided with International Education Week, an annual initiative celebrating the benefits of international education and exchange.

Data shows:

• The top five universities remained unchanged from last year. New York University had the largest international enrollment among U.S. institutions with 27,532, followed by Northeastern, 22,465; Columbia, 20,733; Arizona State, 20,368; and the University of Southern California, 17,884.
• Among universities in New York State, only NYU and Columbia hosted more international students than UB last fall.
• At UB, the largest number of international students came from India, 3,116, followed by China, 751; South Korea, 167; Bangladesh, 136; and Canada, 133.

A separate, but related report estimated that international students at UB contributed $213.3 million to the local economy and supported 1,801 jobs during the 2024-25 academic year.