Global influence: Students from abroad find a fit in Utah

Tuition expenses weren't a deciding factor for Xiaoyu Xu, who came to the University of Utah from northern China "because they have the best research facilities." It didn't hurt that she – and her parents – had already fallen in love with Salt Lake City following its international debut with the 2002 Olympic Games.

"It was a huge thing when my dad saw Salt Lake City," she said. "With the mountains it is so romantic, and with the Olympics being here, it seemed very international and diversified, and it's not too crowded. If I didn't come here, I would probably be stuck in some Chinese community in another state."

Xu is among 1,674 international students studying at the U., and 6,301 in the state of Utah, many of whom come for a graduate education and for unique opportunities not available in their home towns. They bring all kinds of culture and diversity with them, but they also bring the state nearly $116 million in revenue.

According to the annual Open Doors report, released today by the Institute of International Education, the number of international students in America increased by 8 percent to an all-time high of 671,616 in the 2008-09 academic year. The growth is driven largely by increases in the number of undergraduate students from China, which sends more students to the U.S. than any other country.

The numbers "testify to the quality and diversity for which American higher education is known around the world," said Judith A. McHale, undersecretary of state for public diplomacy and public affairs. She said a large network of advisors in the U.S. play a key role in matching international students with various institutions that are "just right for them."

"We strongly encourage international students to study in the United States, and are committed to helping them choose the American college or university that best meets their needs," McHale said.

The U., Xu said, is definitely just right for her as she plans to spend even more time there after graduation, working at a lab in Research Park.

The U.'s International Student Center helps to meet the needs of international students, including obtaining the appropriate student visas to stay in the state and also to help them adjust to the new environment by providing activities and facilitating friendships.

Xu said she had a hard time in Utah until she made friends, but has been fine since. She was especially excited when U. researcher Mario Capecchi won the Nobel Prize because his work was related to her field of medicinal chemistry.