University of Bridgeport’s first enrollment increase in five years driven by international students – Greenwich Time

The University of Bridgeport has announced its first enrollment increase in five years largely due to international students making up almost half of new students.

The private university, located in Bridgeports South End, said 1,322 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in fall 2022, a 30 percent increase from last year, the university said. The fall semester began last month.

Students undergraduate and graduate alike choose UB because of our outstanding faculty, our commitment to being a diverse and inclusive community, and the incredible learning opportunities we offer, said University of Bridgeport President Danielle Wilken in a statement.

About 45 percent of the newly enrolled students are international students, who the university said applied thanks to a partnership between the universitys international admissions office and a Rhode Island-based firm specializing in international student recruitment called the Enrollment Advisory Group.

University officials did not respond to questions regarding the increase in enrollment. The university has for years been able to draw a significant number of students from abroad. But it was unclear Friday what percentage of the student population has traditionally been made up of international students in past years.

The university said in a release that many graduate international students who enrolled were drawn to its engineering school.

It's also unclear how the international travel ban and the period of online learning imposed at the start of the pandemic has impacted UB's international population, which tends to pay full tuition.

The University of Bridgeport captures the attention of students abroad because of the quality of the programs and the employment opportunities they offer students after graduation, said Khaled Elleithy, an engineering and computer science professor and the College of Engineering, Business, and Education's dean, in the statement.

Almost 30 percent of new undergraduates are student athletes, which the university linked to five new varsity sports programs, which include NCAA Division II mens lacrosse and men's and womens indoor track and field.

We now have some of the biggest roster sizes weve ever had, and that is a testament to the quality of our coaches and staff, Jay Moran, the universitys vice president of athletics and recreation, said in the statement.

As of October, the over 7,000 applications the University of Bridgeport has received so far for the spring term is more than double that of the same time last year, according to the university. That increase has largely been driven by international students as well, the university said.

Andy.field@hearstmediact.com, Twitter: @AndyTsubasaF

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University of Bridgeport's first enrollment increase in five years driven by international students - Greenwich Time