The South Dakotan
USD Sees Growth in International Enrollment
Innovation And Workforce Development
The University of South Dakota is seeing a significant rise in international student enrollment this spring with 80 new degree-seeking students in attendance for the spring 2023 semester, as compared to 41 new degree-seeking students in the spring 2022 semester.
Graduate Undergraduate Student Life
With these 80 students from 12 different countries, USD's total enrollment for international, degree-seeking students climbs to around 405 students, an increase of about 156 over last year for full-time degree-seeking students. These figures include both undergraduate and graduate students.
"Growth in international enrollment provides academic departments in key areas of workforce need in South Dakota – such as computer science, business analytics and health sciences – with a large pool of students," said Patrick Morrison, J.D., director of the Gallagher International Center. "It also helps to internationalize our classrooms, labs and other campus areas, which provides domestic students with invaluable experiences here in Vermillion before they go out into an increasingly globalized economy."
The growth in international enrollment primarily comes from South Asia and West Africa. At the graduate level, this increase in enrollment can be attributed to exponential growth in the Master of Science in computer science program. At the undergraduate level, there is a more even distribution of international enrollment across a number of academic programs.
"While we have set a high bar with our new enrollments this year, I think we can clear it again in 2023-2024," Morrison said about the future of international enrollment. "We have built a strong network in our key target markets, and we look forward to maintaining sustainable growth."
Hanna DeLange
Contact Email usdnews@usd.edu
Contact Website website