The number of University students studying abroad has increased at a rate faster than the national average, propelling it into the number six spot for doctoral institutions with the most students studying abroad in the 2006-2007 academic year.

Last year, the University was ranked 15th.

During the 2006-2007 academic year, 2,055 University students studied abroad, up from the 1,701 students who studied abroad during the 2005-2006 year, according to the Open Doors 2008 report, a national study abroad statistics publication, released last week.

The University's numbers represent an increase of 20.8 percent, more than double the national average of 8 percent.

Nicole LeBlanc, assistant director of the University's Office of International Programs, said the office has amped up its recruitment efforts to encourage more students to study abroad.

She said the OIP has organized presentations in residence halls and spoke to numerous student organizations on campus, while also advertising more frequently in an effort to generate more interest in studying abroad. The office is currently running a half-page advertisement in its off-campus magazine.

LeBlanc also said that instead of sending postcards to all incoming students at their homes during the summer, as it did last year, the office now sends them to the students’ on-campus addresses closer to the study abroad fair. This has been effective in capturing the attention of more students, she said.

LeBlanc said University administrators have also made an effort to get involved with advertising the study abroad option. She said LSA Dean Terrence McDonald, in particular, has reached out to students on campus about the benefits of taking courses in another country.

“There is a lot of interest from the higher up administration and acknowledgement of study abroad,” LeBlanc said.

Both LeBlanc and John Greisberger, director of the University's International Center, also attributed the 20 percent increase to the University's ability to track each student who chooses to study abroad.

A problem in the past, Leblanc said, has been synthesizing and reporting all study abroad experiences that don’t necessarily go through the OIP. Many students choose to study abroad through programs at other colleges.

"The OIP study abroad numbers are just one piece of this report," LeBlanc said. "These international experiences occur in a wide variety of formats, from study abroad to work, research, volunteer, and travel opportunities, so trying to accurately capture all the data can be challenging.”

Greisberger said that although the number of students participating in internships abroad is also increasing, that number isn’t accounted for in the Open Doors 2008 report.

The majority of Big Ten schools saw an increase in their numbers, but none had an increase as large as the University of Michigan. Michigan State University held its the No. 2 spot, with a 9.5 percent increase.

The University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus rose from sixth to fourth, with a five percent increase in study abroad numbers. The University of Wisconsin at Madison saw a 14 percent increase, rising to number 10.

LeBlanc said that while there is heightened student interest in study abroad programs, students have been expressing more concerns about the affordability of the programs.

"Economic downturns do cause people to rethink their priorities," Greisberger said.

However, Greisberger said that tougher economic times shouldn’t immediately turn students away from international opportunities.

"There are a number of study abroad programs that are relatively inexpensive compared to staying here in Ann Arbor," he said. "If we can direct students to programs that are comparable to the cost of being here on campus, that's really important to us."