When talking about where they want to go to college, most high schoolers do not include any schools in their hometown. After all, they want to get away, go somewhere new. It’s part of the college experience, leave home, meet new people, and hopefully learn a little from them.
Some colleges offer more opportunities to meet different people than others. In general, you wouldn’t expect state supported institutions to be focusing on out-of-state students. Of course, there some state institutions quite willing to take non-residents who are able to pay their own way. Some may welcome out-of-state students as part exchange agreements with other states. Others might be willing to provide some support to lure academically talented students to their institutions.
Based on 2010 data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), state residents on average account for 83% of the freshman class at state institutions compared to 51% at private colleges.? Foreign students represent 2.1 of freshman at state universities compared to 3.8 for private ones. Smaller states are more likely to have a larger percentage of out-of-state students.
Percentage of State Residents in Freshman Class of Public Universities
Having a lower percentage of state residents isn’t the same thing as having higher percentages of foreign students.
States with Highest Percentage of Foreign Students in Freshman Class of Public Universities
Not surprisingly, the percentage of freshman at state institutions who are state residents is highest in some of the most populous states with Alaska being an understandable exception.
States with Highest Percentage of State Residents in Freshman Class at Public Universities
The following table shows the 20 public universities (excluding the academies) with the highest percentage of non-residents in their freshman class.
The next two tables show the top 20 public universities for number and percentage of foreign students in the freshman class.
Public Universities with Largest Percentage of Foreign Students in Freshman Class
Public Universities with Largest Number of Foreign Students in Freshman Class
