Wisconsin Sees Nearly 6 Percent Increase In International Students

Upwards of 1 million international students studied in the United States last school year; and more than 13,400 of them were in Wisconsin, an increase of about 6 percent, according to the 2016 Open Doors report from the Institute of International Education.

The data shows just under half of the 13,000 students studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The inclusion programs the university offers make the campus an attractive destination, said Steven Barcus, communications director of UW-Madison’s international division.

“First-year student interest groups help international students integrate with the university and the local community,” Barcus said. “But that’s also an opportunity for our students to interact with our international students.”

UW-Madison saw the biggest increase among state schools with an increase just shy of 8 percent. Barcus said foreign students contribute more than $360 million to the state’s economy. He said a lot of that money is spent in Madison.

“That’s from 13,449 international students,” Barcus said. “And we at our university have almost half that number attending. So, it’s very positive for the local economy and for the university.”

Barcus said the university also saw a 13 percent jump in the amount of students studying abroad.