Webster University

11/06/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/06/2024 16:38

Webster Named a Top Institution for International Students

Webster Named a Top Institution for International Students

November 06, 2024

Photo: Graduate Students attend the International Graduate Student Orientation held earlier this year.

Webster University was named as one of the top regional institutions in the Midwest for hosting international students by U.S. News & World Report. Webster was listed 26th on the list for having a large percentage of students from countries besides the United States.

That ranking will likely rise soon. While other institutions have reported significant drops in international enrollment this year, Webster continues to see growth, shattering its own enrollment records this fall. Because of its rising enrollment, Webster this year was named among the best colleges in Missouri for international students by another study.

"Webster continues to rank amongst the top institutions in Missouri for international students and has shattered several recruitment records in the past two years," said Assistant Vice President for International Enrollment Samrat Ray Chaudhuri. "We have shattered our international enrollment records two years in a row, and continue to see growth even after the semester started. We had more than 100 international graduate and undergraduate students join the Webster community this year in late fall, just in time for our Fall 2 term. We believe we will continue to see continued growth through the spring and into the next academic year."

As of November of 2024, Webster University hosted 3,542 students from 65 other countries at its three locations in the United States. This includes 386 undergraduate students at its main campus in the St. Louis region, 270 of whom are new to Webster. Last year, Webster hosted 2,617 students and in 2022 it was 719 students.

Undergraduate students enrolled in a broad spectrum of programs, including Film Studies, Computer Science, Biology, Psychology and Business Administration. Graduate students focused on programs such as the master's in business administration, cyber security, information technology management, business analytics, data analytics, marketing analytics and management and leadership.

Overall, this growth in international students is a good predictor for Webster's future health and contributes to the success of all of its students, according to a recent whitepaper published by the Oxford International Education Group. That study, which lauds Webster for its success in attracting international students, looked at the exponentially growing demand for college programs in Asia and Africa and said that by attracting students from those regions, U.S. institutions can both increase their overall diversity while also giving its students a broader perspective in multiple fields of study.

"In recent years, the diversification of international students has received increased attention within the broader international higher education sector in the U.S., and more specifically on U.S. campuses," the study says. "It is also an imperative if institutions are committed to issues of access and equity and increasing educational opportunities for a broader range of students. In this way, attracting diverse international students is also critical to the overarching diversity goals of a campus, and ensuring their well-being is central to their retention and success."

Webster Chancellor Timothy Keane said that there is a reason why Webster has been so successful at attracting a diverse range of students from around the world:

"We are a welcoming community that nurtures diversity and inclusion for people from all backgrounds," Keane said. "We are a place where students can pursue individual excellence on all of our campuses."

Visit Webster's international admissions page for more information about the programs and resources offered to students from other nations.