Webster University Named as a Top Institution for Study Abroad and International Students

Photo: International graduate students attend an orientation session at the beginning of the 2023-2024 academic year on Webster's Main Campus in St. Louis.

Webster University was named as one of the top master’s-conferring institutions in the United States for sending students to study abroad, as well as being among the top 40 among all master’s-conferring institutions for hosting international students, by the Open Doors project. Open Doors is produced by the Institute for International Education (IIE), a collaborative project from the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Department of Education that tracks study abroad trends in higher education.

This is the second time in six years that Webster has been named a top study abroad school by the IIE. 

“Webster’s reputation as an international institution of higher education is well deserved and reflects the core value of diversity and inclusion that was the basis for founding this institution,” said Webster University President Julian Z. Schuster. “By being recognized for both sending students abroad and hosting international students here, it demonstrates that all of our students at our campuses have opportunities to explore the world, become immersed in different cultures and experience first-hand the diversity of the world.”

IIE tracks data from more than 1,500 institutions of higher education in the United States. The data is annually updated in late November. The reports categorize institutions as “Baccalaureate Colleges,” “Master’s Colleges & Universities” and “Doctoral Universities.”

According to the latest report, Webster University is 30th among all Master's Colleges & Universities in the United States for sending undergraduate students abroad, and was first among master’s-conferring institutions in Missouri for sending undergraduate abroad. Overall, the report calculated that 22.1% of all Webster undergraduates from the Webster Groves campus studied at an international location for at least six weeks or more during their four years at Webster. This means Webster sent the fifth highest number of students abroad among all institutions in Missouri, regardless of the types of degrees conferred. Webster also was third in the state among all independent non-profit institutions. The data was based on data from the 2021-2022 academic year. 

“Webster encourages students to study abroad from the moment they get on campus by making sure they can keep their academic plan on track while they are overseas and helping with travel costs. We also offer a variety of programs, from short-term opportunities to semester-long immersive experiences,” said Webster’s Director of Study Abroad Kelly Heath. “We have a unique study abroad portfolio, including Webster’s own international campus locations, that gives all of our students a chance to experience the world, as we believe that exposure to different cultures helps make a student more prepared for the increasingly diversified workplace and a better international citizen.”

In addition, the report said Webster was 38th among all Master’s Colleges & Universities in the United States for hosting international students from other countries. It was the fourth most popular destination for international students among all Master’s Colleges & Universities in Missouri, and the most popular independent non-profit Master’s Colleges and Universities in the state. During the 2022-2023 academic year, Webster hosted 758 students from other countries, the IIE report says. 

“Preliminary data indicates that for the 2023-2024 academic year, Webster could be listed as one of the top destinations for international students in Missouri and nationally among all institutions, thanks to tremendous growth in enrollment experienced this year,” said Webster’s Vice President of Enrollment Management Lisa Blazer. “We have more than tripled the number of international students studying at Webster’s campuses in the United States and those numbers should be reflected in next years’ IIE report.”

According to IIE, colleges and universities hosted more than 1 million international students in the 2022-2023 academic year, a 12% increase from the previous year and the largest growth in more than 40 years. New international students entering the U.S. last year grew by 14% year-over-year to 298,523. IIE estimates that international students last year accounted for 6% of all college and university enrollment in the U.S., contributing more than $38 billion to the economy. 

“With a strong Spring 2024 visa and confirmed student trend, Webster should be comfortably entering the 3000+ international student mark by January and become part of a very exclusive league of institutions which can boast of such enrollment and retention success,” said Webster’s Assistant Vice President of International Enrollment Samrat Ray Chaudhuri. “While the IIE data shows that most universities show double-digit growth in international enrollment, Webster has significantly beaten all those expectations with triple-digit increases.”

U.S. students studying overseas grew by an even greater number, reflecting the recovery from the pandemic. In the 2021-2022 year, IIE reported more than 188,000 U.S. students traveled overseas to study for six weeks or more, an increase of 1,197%. The most popular continent to study in was Europe, and the most popular countries were Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Germany.

This is not the first time Webster was listed by IIE in its annual report. In 2017, Webster was named a top institution for sending students to study abroad. 

Information about Webster’s study abroad programs and international admissions can be found online. For more information about the IIE report and how it collected data, visit the Open Doors website.