Boston College’s overall international population has rebounded somewhat this academic year, although it is still below the pre-pandemic total, according to a recent report issued by the University’s Office of International Students and Scholars.
OISS said the number of international undergraduate and graduate students, students working in their field of study after graduation (“practical training”), faculty and research scholars, and dependents at BC stands at 2,595, a three percent increase from the 2020-2021 academic year. The pre-COVID (2019-2020) international population was 2,746.
OISS Associate Dean and Director Adrienne Nussbaum noted that the statistics represent a “snapshot” of the international population, which she said will change as additional students, faculty, and scholars join BC throughout the remainder of this academic year.
The combined international undergraduate and graduate student population rose five percent from last year’s 1,735 to 1,827 this academic year, near the 1,872 mark from 2019-2020. While the number of international undergrads is up 10 percent (932), first-year student totals are down considerably, said Nussbaum, attributing this to COVID-related uncertainty and pre-2021 concerns about United States immigration policies. These figures, however, are expected to return to normal next year.
BC’s international faculty and scholar population has increased 14 percent from last year and is approaching pre-COVID levels, while the number of practical training students remains lower than that of recent years—another result of the pandemic, Nussbaum said.
China continues to be the most represented country at BC, with 881 undergraduate and graduate students, constituting nearly half of BC’s entire international total student population. South Korea (136), India (68), Spain (61), and Italy (52) round out the top five.
The report is available at the OISS website.
University Communications | January 2022