PNW’s international student program is thriving, with the highest enrollment since the 2017-18 school year. 

The university reports 581 international students are enrolled, a nearly 20% increase from last year. The number represents a significant rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic era, when the international student enrollment dropped under 300 as many countries suspended international travel.

Ryan Hayes, director of the Global Ambassador Program, said international student represent 8.5% of undergraduate enrollment.

That’s part of a plan to make the university a hub for students from across the world.

“We’ve been incredibly proactive in the outreach to prospective students and fine tuning the communications that we send out,” said Hayes. “We are going to … different countries … to meet high school students and ramping up the amount of international agencies [PNW uses to recruit students] as well.”

The Global Ambassador Program is one initiative to entice more international students to PNW. 

“Prospective students can contact our university and request to speak with a current student,” said Hayes. “They can ask questions about what the school and campus life is like.”

Prior to COVID-19, PNW had an Office of Global Engagement with 17 employees. Today, it operates with three. 

Salma Raslan, a senior majoring in Marketing, was enticed to PNW from her home in Cairo, Egypt. She has been here since 2021. 

“I didn’t really know much about PNW before coming here, but after I looked into the program, I did see that their business program did stand out,” said Raslan. “I’m currently a Marketing major, so being so close to a big city was also something that really caught my attention.” 

She recalls that her first time traveling to the U.S. without her parents was a “crazy new experience.” 

“Coming in as a freshman there were a small number of international student enrollees, however, now it has definitely increased,” she said. “I can safely say that ever since I came here the community as a whole has been very welcoming and have helped me settle in and made me feel like this is my second home.

“I do feel like international students usually do get along just because they know how it is to really settle in,” said Raslan. “Being so far away from home, you need to make an extra effort to make sure you have a good group of friends around you.”