INTO University Partnerships Announces Continued International Student Growth and Academic Success at US Partner Institutions

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 7, 2013) - INTO University Partnerships today announced successes in key areas at its US partner institutions, including international student enrollment growth, strong academic outcomes and high student satisfaction. INTO's first two US partners, Oregon State University and University of South Florida, have experienced the greatest gains and are outpacing national averages in international student enrollment growth, demonstrating the long-term effectiveness of INTO's joint venture model.

INTO partners with leading universities in the United States, United Kingdom and Asia to expand opportunities for higher education, ensuring student success and achieving a globally diverse and integrated campus community. To date, INTO has helped more than 5,000 international students from over 100 countries begin their academic studies at institutions in the US.

For the Fall 2013 intake, all four of INTO's US centers exceeded their ambitious enrollment goals. The company's three most mature partnerships -- Oregon State University, University of South Florida and Colorado State University -- experienced double-digit growth (19 percent) from the previous year. Achieving nationality diversity also remains a goal at all of INTO's joint ventures, with more than 60 countries represented at the four US centers.

INTO's most recent partnership launched in Fall 2013 at Marshall University. In August, INTO Marshall welcomed its first group of 170 international students from 23 countries, an impressive start for the new program. Last month, INTO and George Mason University announced plans to establish a partnership to expand the university's global reach and international student enrollment. Once approved, the planned partnership would be INTO's fifth joint venture in the US.

"The rapid success at our US centers has been incredible. The ambitious universities with whom we're partnered are committed to comprehensive internationalization as part of their long-term strategy for institutional growth and evolution. What's more, they understand that 'internationalization' is greater than simply recruiting larger numbers of international students. It's about increasing access to high quality education and improving the experience for international and domestic students alike," said David Stremba, Managing Director of INTO University Partnerships, North America.

Success at INTO's US centers is measured not only by the size and diversity of each year's incoming academic cohort but also by students' academic outcomes and satisfaction with their experience. Academic success is central to the mission of each joint venture, a partnership through which each university maintains full control over academic programs. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of students successfully completed Pathway programs at INTO OSU, INTO USF and INTO CSU and qualified to progress to university degree programs; 95 percent of those students eligible to progress ultimately chose to enroll at the host university. The vast majority of students studying at INTO centers in the US in 2012-13 responded to an end of program survey indicating they were highly satisfied or satisfied with their experience.

"The partnership model is transformational and especially powerful in higher education. We are able to mobilize vast amounts of resources in our network as well as that of our university partners to advance institutional goals," said Andrew Colin, Chairman of INTO University Partnerships. "There is a swell in demand from international students for high-quality opportunities to study outside their home countries. Leading universities need to be able to deliver differentiated and best-of-class service for these students. Carefully designed strategic partnerships have proven a successful way for this to be accomplished."

INTO is committed to improving global access to quality higher education and further increasing international student mobility. As a global education partnering organization that establishes large-scale, long-term, transformational partnerships, INTO assists universities in achieving their comprehensive internationalization goals. For more information about INTO University Partnerships and its partner institutions, please visit www.into-corporate.com.

About INTO University Partnerships
Universities partner with INTO to advance their ambitious comprehensive internationalization agendas. INTO's deeply embedded joint ventures create a globally diverse and integrated campus, improve the overall student experience, and increase international students' access to higher education. Through INTO's resources and expertise institutions expand their ability to create highly supportive academic environments, establish state-of-the-art learning and living spaces and deliver university-designed programs. Since 2006, INTO has established partnerships with 17 universities in the UK, the US and China. These partnerships have helped more than 5,000 international students from over 100 countries begin their academic studies at partner institutions in North America, including Oregon State University, the University of South Florida, Colorado State University and Marshall University. More information can be found at www.into-corporate.com or follow INTO @INTOnetwork.