Babson Is the No. 1 College for International Students According to Forbes

WELLESLEY, Mass., Sept. 29, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Forbes has once again named Babson the No. 1 college in its annual ranking of the 50 Best U.S. Colleges for International Students.

"Earning the No. 1 spot for the second year in a row is Babson College, a specialized entrepreneurial school in Wellesley, MA, where every student receives a B.S. in business administration," according to Forbes. "Babson boasts a formidable international student population (26 percent) and is one of the few liberal arts colleges that offer need-based financial aid for international students. The school has developed name recognition worldwide."

Just last week, Babson was also ranked No. 1 for entrepreneurship for the 21st consecutive time by U.S. News & World Report.

"Babson College is proud to offer a welcoming and transformative learning experience for students from around the world and we are thrilled to be recognized as the best U.S. college for international students for the second consecutive year," said Kerry Healey, Babson College president. "At Babson, students of all nationalities and backgrounds live and learn together. Our diverse international community instills all students with a truly global mindset and prepares them to create economic and social value everywhere."

"At Babson College, we take pride in our increasingly global community. Faculty and staff strive to create an ecosystem which integrates international students into all facets of our campus environment," said Amir Reza, vice provost for International and Multicultural Education at Babson College. "In short, Babson is a family of students, scholars, and professionals that come together to create a microcosm of the world—the kind of place that cultivates humanity, creating a compassionate community where communication crosses global borders and facilitates the education of tomorrow's entrepreneurial leaders with a global mindset. International students are an integral part of this education and we are thrilled to be recognized as the most welcoming and nurturing campus for students from all corners of the world."

Forbes' methodology favors schools with business or STEM focuses, with notable academic diversity in its list.

Methodology

To develop the annual list of the 50 Best U.S. Colleges for International Students, Forbes adds measurements of school quality (50 percent), the total percentage of international students (25 percent), the growth of the international student population (five percent), graduation rates for international students (10 percent), and the majors/programs of interest to international students (10 percent).

From Forbes: "We focused on two questions when judging how good of a fit schools were for international students: What qualities in a school bolster specifically an international student's return on investment, and what schools show evidence of a strong commitment to international students? Starting with the 650 excellent colleges and universities in our 2017 Top Colleges, we gathered final release data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the College Scorecard and from the Institute of International Education to compile our 50-school ranking."

Babson's International Student Population

• Babson international students come from more than 75 countries around the world and make up 28 percent of the undergraduate student population.
• Twenty-three percent of the first-year students in the Class of 2021 are from outside the United States, and an additional eight percent of the class are U.S. students who hold dual passports.

On-Campus Events and Programming for International Students

• Babson has implemented a three-part series around race and racism designed specifically for its international students to:
• Prepare international students to understand and participate in the activities and discussions that will take place during orientation and in their classes, especially when critical incidents occur.
• Help international students more accurately understand the U.S. historical, societal, and cultural context in which they will be immersed.
• Help international students understand and anticipate the racial categorization that Americans and non-Americans are subjected to based largely on appearance.
• Provide suggestions and resources for future learning.

Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program

• Babson College is the first private college to offer a Global Entrepreneur in Residence program, enabling international entrepreneurs to qualify for an H-1B visa through an initiative driven by Babson's unique vision to harness the global power of entrepreneurship.

Global Scholars Program

• Each year, a highly talented group of international students is awarded need-based scholarships as part of our Global Scholars Program. Students selected for the Global Scholars Program receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships. Global Scholars with greater levels of financial need are also awarded additional grant funds, in varying amounts based on need, to help with room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, and travel expenses.

Education Abroad

• Although Babson offers a global experience right here on campus, 50 percent of Babson undergraduates study abroad, with equal participation rates by domestic and international students.
• By participating in over 110 programs in more than 35 countries around the world, Babson undergraduates gain further experience and perspective, and prepare to lead an increasingly global community.
• Babson students also have the opportunity to participate in Babson Electives Abroad, short-term courses that combine classroom instruction with company site visits and cultural excursions. Led by Babson College faculty, these courses also include in-country lectures given by partner school faculty and distinguished guest speakers. 

International Consulting Experience

• The International Consulting Experience at Babson College takes the consulting experience global by providing three to four student teams the opportunity to work on project assignments with international corporate sponsors. The program begins with pre-departure sessions focused on consulting methodology and intercultural competencies during the fall semester. Travel to the company site takes place over winter break, at which time students develop the engagement contract and begin on-site primary research. Project work is completed over the spring semester and ends with the team's written and oral presentation of their findings and recommendations to their sponsor company.

Student-led Conferences on Global Affairs

• Annual student-led conferences bring together hundreds of students and renowned executive speakers from around the world. The Babson Latin American Club Forum, Babson Asia Entrepreneurship Forum, and Babson India Symposium provide a stage for business leaders, future entrepreneurs, and academics to share their experiences concerning economic opportunities, global business, and entrepreneurial possibilities in international regions.

Global Alumni Clubs

• More than 40,000 alumni in 114 countries make up a strong and global Babson College network. 

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader of Entrepreneurship of All Kinds^®. The top-rankedcollege for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action^® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

SOURCE Babson College

Related Links

http://www.babson.edu