Chester, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/18/2012 -- UniversitiesAbroad.com, an online resource for international students interested in studying outside of their home country, was launched today, making information about educational opportunities at colleges and universities throughout the world, including those in the U.S., more readily available. The site features a comprehensive directory of more than 150,000 degree and certificate programs that is searchable by desired location of study and program subject, format or level; from undergraduate and graduate degree programs to certificate and associate’s level programs. For international students looking to learn in the U.S., it also provides tools and resources to help them better understand the American university system and college application process.

“Going abroad for a degree is incredibly attractive to many international students. It offers the opportunity to gain a global professional network and a diverse educational experience, as well as can help graduates become more competitive in the job market,” said Joshua Irons, Director of Product Marketing at UniversitiesAbroad.com. “However, finding the right university and program abroad can be time consuming and difficult, so to help international students we’ve compiled the information and resources they need in one convenient location.”

For colleges and universities interested in recruiting these international students, UniversitiesAbroad.com today released the report, “Recruiting International Students: How to Succeed With This Expanding Market Opportunity.” The report features findings of a UniversitiesAbroad.com survey of 600 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. about their current marketing practices. Among the findings:

More than half (54.8 percent) of the schools allocated 10 percent or less of their marketing budget to international recruiting, an amount expected to continue.

The top three approaches to recruiting were international student fairs, independent international recruiting agents and online lead generation sites that target student prospects. Respondents indicated that the latter two provide the greatest ROI.

Half the respondents were planning to use online lead generation sites that targeted international student prospects for their future recruiting.

The research offers these results and more, as well as best practices to help schools better recruit international students. According to recently released data from the Institute of International Education, during the 2010/2011 school year 214,490 new international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities, an increase of 5.7 percent over the previous school year; the total number of international students enrolled in U.S. institutions was 723,277.

“We expect international student interest in programs outside of their home country will continue to increase as more and more countries determine that an educated workforce is their most effective way to compete in the global economy,” continued Irons. “This presents a valuable window of opportunity for institutions around the world to benefit from recruiting abroad.”

To request a copy of the complete UniversitiesAbroad.com research report, contact Joshua Irons at jirons@educationdynamics.com.

For more information about UniversitiesAbroad.com or to search its directory, visit http://www.UniversitiesAbroad.com.

About UniversitiesAbroad.com
UniversitiesAbroad.com is a service of EducationDynamics and a leading website for international students interested in studying outside of their home country. The site features a comprehensive directory of more than 150,000 available degree and certificate programs offered by colleges and universities throughout the world, including in the U.S., and is searchable by desired country and program subject, format or level; from undergraduate and graduate degree programs to certificate and associate’s level programs. UniversitiesAbroad.com also provides tools and resources to help international students better understand the U.S. university system and college application process. For more information visit http://www.UniversitiesAbroad.com.