Report: International students significantly impact state and local economies

The NAFSA: Association of International Educators has released a 2011 report regarding the impact of international students on state and local economies.  Iowa ranks 20th in the nation in foreign student enrollment, with 10,404 students.  The association estimates those students account for over $280 million in net expenditures in Iowa.  The figures do not rely on a "multiplier effect" that is often used when reports attempt to delineate economic impact on communities.

Those figures translate to an estimate of over $4 million for Luther and the Decorah community.

Luther College currently enrolls 130 international students, a figure consistent with comparable peer institutions. But Executive Director of the Center for Global Learning and International Admissions, Jon Lund, says the Luther composition of those students is considerable different than other schools, with Luther having students diversely representing 50 countries and not having a heavy reliance on a specific country.  The largest populations at Luther are from: India (16), China (15), and Vietnam (12). Lund says this is a very intentional strategy – one that prevents Luther from being highly vulnerable to world political situations. For example, after "9/11" it was virtually impossible for any male Muslim student to get a visa.  Some colleges, such as the University of Iowa, may have as much as 80 percent of foreign students from one country. China accounts for almost 40 percent of foreign students in the U.S.

Prior to 9/11 Luther's international student enrollment had peaked at 154 students, but after that, numbers dipped to a low of 62.  The number continues to grow, with some target figures near 150. Lund says that the retention of international students has been consistent with students from the U.S.