India Leads the Way: International Enrollment at SLU Soars to Unprecedented Heights
Saint Louis University is emerging as a truly global university thanks to an unprecedented number of students from India choosing SLU to pursue their dreams of higher education in the United States. Nearly 3,200 international students are currently studying at SLU, the most in the University’s 205-year history and more than double the size of last year’s class of international students.
The driving force behind the dramatic increase in international enrollment is SLU’s innovative Global Graduate initiative, which launched three years ago and has grown increasingly successful each year, including welcoming more than 1,400 new international graduate students to campus this fall.
“Our Global Graduate initiative has far exceeded our initial hopes and projections,” said SLU President Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D. “The tremendous success of this initiative is a testament to SLU's growing reputation for exceptional academics on the global stage.”
Today, more than 2,400 students from India are studying at SLU — accounting for over 15% of SLU’s total student body — at the same time that the Indian population in St. Louis has become the region’s fastest-growing group.
“We couldn’t be more excited that record numbers of international students are choosing SLU,” said Provost Michael Lewis, Ph.D., who serves as the University’s chief academic officer. “The global perspectives international students bring enrich our campus — in and out of the classroom.”
The University has made significant investments to support the rapidly growing number of students studying in programs under the Global Graduate initiative at SLU, including:
- Increasing funding for scholarships and expanded career readiness activities
- Hiring 30 new faculty and staff dedicated to teaching and supporting international graduate students
- Adding new and expanded services to help students thrive academically, professionally and personally
- Offering special programming to introduce new international students to local culture, including a signature event at the Gateway Arch monument in downtown St. Louis.
“It takes great courage and determination for international students to travel beyond their home borders to advance their education,” Dr. Lewis said. “Everyone at SLU is committed to supporting and celebrating their journeys every step of the way.”
