Colorado experiencing larger numbers of foreign college students

The week of Nov. 14-18 marks International Education Week, and new data suggests the state of Colorado is doing its part.

StudyColorado, an initiative from the state’s Department of Higher Education, announced earlier this week that international student enrollment at Colorado’s colleges and universities continues to be on the rise, according to study released by the New York-based not-for-profit Institute of International Education.

During the 2015-16 academic year, the state’s higher education institutions enrolled 11,346 internationals, the majority of which studied at the University of Colorado-Boulder, Colorado State University in Fort Collins and the University of Denver. The number represented a 5-percent increase, and 30 percent of that overall international population consisted of students from China. India, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait sent the next most to the state. That level of attendance resulted in $378 million in revenues for Colorado institutions and communities during the fiscal year.

“Many students specifically choose Colorado schools for their strong academic programs and inviting communities,” Inta Morris, director of StudyColorado, said in a news release. “Each campus offers a unique experience for international students, whether they choose to study at a rural campus with only a few thousand students or a larger campus in Denver, Boulder or Fort Collins.”

The IIE report also shows that 5,350 U.S. students form Colorado institutions participated in an exchange program during this time frame, which was about the same total as the year prior. For more information on StudyColorado, visit: studycolorado.org.