International student enrollment growth continues

Shiwu Cai and Zheng Zhang

Students from 70 different countries are studying at NAU’s Flagstaff campus this fall, in line with the university’s strategic goal of global engagement. There are 1,246 international students enrolled this semester.

Mandy Hansen, director of International Admissions and Recruitment, said the most popular majors for international students are engineering and business. Countries with the highest representation include China, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Brazil.

“Just four years ago, NAU hosted no students from Brazil. We were one of the first institutions to host Brazilian students that were selected by their government to study the STEM fields in the United States,” Hansen said.

The addition of students from the Brazilian Science and Mobility Program has meant more students using the Program for Intensive English, said director Jackie Evans. 168 students are using PIE services this fall, up from 145 students during the 2012-13 school year.

The Program for Intensive English tests international students’ language abilities and offers assistance to enhance their on-campus learning abilities. PIE is working with students from Brazil, China, Colombia, Haiti, Iraq, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.