EUGENE–Relative to its size, the University of Oregon ranks at the top of the list of public research institutions for international student enrollment and for the number of its students studying abroad, according to a new national report.

"Open Doors: 1997-98 Report on International Educational Exchange," issued by the New York-based Institute of International Education, ranks the UO ahead of schools including the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Virginia and Rutgers University. Among all public and private research institutions, the report ranks the UO 28th in the nation in the area of study-abroad enrollment and 38th in foreign student enrollment.

"These new rankings put the UO in the company of the most prestigious schools in the nation, including Harvard, Stanford and MIT," says Tom Mills, director of the UO Office of International Education and Exchange (OIEE). "Our international students tell us they chose the UO for the highly ranked curriculum, welcoming atmosphere, and safety and attractiveness of the Eugene community."

During the 1997-98 academic year, more than 1,600 international students from 90 countries were enrolled at the UO in regular academic programs and another 350 studied English or received practical training. These students comprised 11.6 percent of the university’s enrollment.

The OIEE also manages 70 study-abroad programs in 52 countries in which there were 580 UO students enrolled in 1997-98. Annually, approximately 3.4 percent of UO students are enrolled in study-abroad programs.

"With study abroad, the educational experience is direct," says George Sheridan, vice provost for international programs. "There is simply no substitute for living and interacting in an environment other than one’s own, and learning about that other culture, one’s own culture, and oneself."

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