University of Iowa likely to see record enrollment

A likely record enrollment of international students this fall will help make the University of Iowa's entering class one of the most diverse ever, President Sally Mason said.

The UI could see record numbers again in overall enrollment and international students, Mason told The Gazette editorial board Thursday.

“It looks robust,” she said.

UI classes begin Aug. 24, with official counts taken in September. The UI set a record last fall with 30,561 students.

Officials expect up to 4,100 freshmen and 1,100 transfers this year, Mason said. It will be the fourth consecutive year with an entering class larger than 4,000.

Admissions Director Michael Barron said early numbers show the incoming class could be 11 percent U.S. minorities and almost 7 percent international students.

“While it is still a bit early to know for sure, it looks like our class will be more diverse,” he said via e-mail.

UI international student enrollment has shown stronger growth than at peer universities, Mason said.

That's partly because UI recruiters have ramped up outreach efforts overseas, said Scott King, director of the UI Office of International Students & Scholars.

Also, King said, the students like what they see at the UI: a respected research institution in a safer, smaller city with a lower cost of living than metropolitan areas.

“I always tell people it's not a difficult process to sell Iowa overseas,” King said.

Last year's record international enrollment was 2,379. The UI could top 2,500 this fall, King said. That would include a freshmen class of up to 420 international students, compared with 304 new students last fall and 181 the year before.

Much of the growth has come from China, King said, where higher education cannot keep pace with demand. There's also strong interest in the Middle East, which King expects to intensify now that the UI is one of 22 universities in an Iraqi scholarship program.

Growing international enrollment pays off in greater campus diversity, but also boosts tuition revenue during tough budget times, King said.

International students pay out-of-state tuition.