We’re Number One: The New School Tops Two U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges, Lists
The New School leads the nation in the percentage of international undergraduate students and the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students, as reported in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of “Best Colleges,” released on September 13, 2011. This marks the fifth consecutive year that the university earned the top spot on the international list.
Based on data provided by the university, U.S. News reports that more than 90 percent of classes at The New School have fewer than 20 students. The pedagogical model of small classroom discussions informs every element of life at a university where being outspoken is not merely a character trait but a prerequisite for study. Similarly, our impressive international student population gives the campus a global feel despite the fact that many foreign-born New Schoolers have come to New York to stay.
“The kinetic energy students find at The New School cannot be matched anywhere in the world,” said President David E. Van Zandt. “From our founding in 1919, The New School has always attracted international visitors, many of whom decide to remain here to build careers fueled by New York’s limitless artistic, intellectual, and social freedom. We are at the cutting edge of what the future will bring: a fully global student body in which students from all over the world learn from their professors and each other.”
According to 2011 enrollment data, more than 27 percent of New School undergraduates come from outside of the U.S. The university’s 1,881 international undergraduates come from 96 countries and are enrolled in all of the university’s Bachelor’s degree programs.
“I notice the international student mix most often in class discussions,” said Simone Czech, a junior from Germany who is studying design and management at Parsons. “Everyone brings something new and unusual to the table, so I am learning almost as much from my fellow students as I am from the faculty.”