For the first time in UCA’s 101-year history, international enrollment has exceeded 500 students. In total, 576 international students are enrolled for the Fall 2008 semester. This represents a 23 percent increase over Fall 2007 semester figures and is part of a four-year trend of a growing international student population.
“International students come to study in the United States for a variety of reasons,” said Mirtila Nunez, a senior from Honduras majoring in Biology. “Initially, many have never heard of UCA or even the State of Arkansas. Recruiting efforts from the UCA Division of International Affairs often combined with word-of-mouth from current international students help many select UCA.”Students representing 64 countries currently study at UCA. The top ten countries represented are: People’s Republic of China, Japan, Korea, Honduras, Niger, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Tanzania, Canada and Vietnam. Upon graduation, these students will join nearly 4,000 international UCA alumni.
“UCA offers both strong academic programs and a competitive cost of attendance when compared to other U.S. institutions by prospective international students,” said Jim Brosam II, Associate Vice President of International Affairs. “Their presence increases campus diversity and has a positive economic impact upon the local economy. Our goal is to have at least one student from each of the 195 countries of the world represented at UCA.”
