CSB and SJU ranked No. 2 nationally in semester-long study abroad participation

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are ranked No. 2 nationally among baccalaureate institutions with students who participate in semester-long study abroad programs, according to Open Doors 2009, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The report was released Monday, Nov. 16.

The two schools had 386 students study abroad in semester-long programs during the 2007-08 school year, according to data released by the IIE.

The report also found that CSB and SJU ranked No. 6 nationally among baccalaureate institutions for total number of study abroad students, with 518 students who studied abroad in 2007-08. Saint Benedict and Saint John’s have been among the top six nationally in the number of students participating in international study programs for the past five years, according to IIE.

“We are very pleased to see CSB and SJU among the leading liberal arts colleges for study abroad, especially with respect to semester-long programs,” said Joe Rogers, director of Education Abroad at CSB and SJU. “With the addition of a new semester program in India to be launched in 2011, CSB and SJU remains an innovator and a leader in the field. We are committed to offering our students a variety of challenging and transformative study abroad opportunities, both short term and semester-long.”

Open Doors 2009 also reported that CSB and SJU ranked No. 12 among baccalaureate institutions with 271 international students for the 2008-09 school year. CSB and SJU had the highest number of international students among three Minnesota schools listed in the top 40 baccalaureate institutions.

“The recruitment of first-year international students to CSB and SJU complements our existing study abroad programs lending an international perspective to our combined curriculum and our two Benedictine academic communities,” said Roger Young, director of international admission at CSB and SJU. “This world view has dramatic implications for our graduates as they prepare themselves for the new global economy.”

The total number of international students studying at colleges and universities in the U.S. increased by 8 percent to an all-time high of 671,616 students in 2008-09. That is the largest percentage increase in international student enrollments since 1980-81.

CSB and SJU have developed 17 semester-long study abroad programs in 14 countries and six continents almost exclusively led by its faculty, which is very unusual among baccalaureate colleges like CSB and SJU. In addition, the colleges mount dozens of short-term and service learning overseas trips.

Minnesota colleges and universities saw a sharp increase in the number of students studying abroad, from 8,484 in 2006-07 to 9,579 in 2007-08 – an increase of 12.9 percent. Six other Minnesota schools ranked among the top 40 in total number of study abroad students among baccalaureate institutions.

For the complete reports, see www.opendoors.iienetwork.org