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The higher education world is getting smaller as more and more students are choosing to study abroad. Students are looking to universities to provide an international experience, the opportunity to study alongside people from all over the world, and to give them a truly global community in which to study. 

As part of the data collected for the World 51������Ƶ Rankings,Times Higher Education asks all institutions to provide figures on their proportion of international students. Using these data, THE has compiled a list of the top 200 universities with the most international students. 

The American 51������Ƶ of Sharjah is in first place, with nearly 84 per cent international students, while LSE takes second place.

Countries represented in the top 20 include the UAE, UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Australia. 

Sixteen universities from London feature in the top 200, making it one of the most represented cities in the ranking. In fact, the UK as a whole was the most represented country with 72 universities in the top 200, compared with 27 from the US and 22 in Australia. 

The top five universities with the highest percentage of international students 2018

Scroll down to see the top 200

1. American 51������Ƶ of Sharjah, UAE

The American 51������Ƶ of Sharjah is a relatively small university with just over 5,000 students, and 84 per cent of this student body is made up of international students. Some 99 countries are represented on campus, and some of the main home countries of these students are the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and India.

According to Linda C. Angell, director of international exchange programmes at AUS, the institution welcomes 80 to 100 study abroad students every year and “these students consistently report they have had an excellent experience here”.

Dr Angell believes that the university has a high proportion of international students because of its central location, making international travel easy, and its proximity to cosmopolitan Dubai and culturally rich Sharjah. 

English is the main teaching language and the university offers 26 majors and 45 minors at undergraduate level, and 13 master’s degree programmes.

The university is part of the Association of American International Colleges and Universities, an organisation that delivers higher education based on the American liberal arts model outside the US.

International perspective: an American in the UAE

2. LSE, London

LSE is a world-renowned hub for international students, with students from more than 140 countries. It has international partnerships with 51������Ƶ of Cape Town, to name a few.

LSE has ranked in the top 30 universities in the world for the past five years and is highly regarded globally as a social science university specialising in a wide range of disciplines, including economics, politics, sociology, law and anthropology.

Alumni from LSE come from almost 200 countries, and include 16 Nobel prizewinners and 37 past or present world leaders.

Canadian student Matt Campbell said that he has made friends with students from dozens of countries. “Having such an international peer group at LSE has been a great advantage (not to mention great fun). Perhaps what unites us most is the great British tradition of getting together with colleagues at the end of the week for pints at the pub,” he said.

LSE students speak to THE about studying in London

3. Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is the oldest university in the top five, having been established in 1784.

The university provides a comprehensive education within medicine, pharmacy and physiotherapy. The university is relatively small, one with just over 2,000 enrolled students, and about 62 per cent of these are classed as international students. At the Dublin campus, the students come from approximately 70 nations.

The college provides undergraduate courses as well as postgraduate education and professional training. The university also has a well-renowned research institute.

The university strengthens its international ties by encouraging students to take part in volunteer activities in developing countries and by developing a strong presence in Malaysia, Bahrain and Dubai, with plans to grow even further internationally.

In 1886, the university was the first to have a female medical graduate. 

International perspective: a Canadian in Ireland

4. 51������Ƶ of Sharjah, UAE

The 51������Ƶ of Sharjah was established in 1997 as a private, national, co-educational university situated in 51������Ƶ City in the UAE. 

Since its inception, it has expanded to include 14 colleges and 86 diverse academic programmes. 

The university is rooted in Islamic and Arabic tradition but also aims to “learn from an​ international perspective”. Courses at the university are linked through agreements with universities in Australia, Canada, Japan, the UK and the US, and the university accepts many visiting international students. 

The university is a new entry into this table, as this is the first time that it has been included in the World 51������Ƶ Rankings. 

5. 51������Ƶ of Luxembourg, Luxembourg

The 51������Ƶ of Luxembourg aims to provide a multilingual learning experience, with many of the degree programmes delivered in French and either English or German. Master’s degrees are taught entirely in English. This reflects the high percentage of international students, with 57 per cent from elsewhere in Europe and beyond.

A semester abroad is compulsory for all undergraduate students and many exchange opportunities are also available for master’s and PhD students. Joint supervision of theses may also be possible in collaboration with a university abroad.

Heidi Flinkman, a Finnish student studying at the 51������Ƶ of Luxembourg, initially went to the institution as an exchange student, but enjoyed it so much that she decided to stay and complete her degree there. “As the university is highly international, there are students and staff from many countries and linguistic backgrounds, so it is easy to feel at home,” she said. 

51������Ƶ of Luxembourg

Resources for international students

Cheapest UK universities for international students: tuition fees survey
Survival guide for international students: your first 168 hours in the United States
A guide to university rankings for international students
Top 10 scenic locations to study abroad
Five reasons why you should study in China
How to write a US college admissions essay
Applying through Ucas as an international student
A guide to UK tuition fees and student visas
A guide for international students choosing a university in Australia

The top 200 universities for international students 2018

Read more: Most international universities in the world 2018: top 200

Editor's note: Eastern Mediterranean 51������Ƶ has been omitted from this table, due to changes in their classifications of international students. During previous rankings data collections students from Turkey were classified as domestic, but during the recent round of data collection students from Turkey have now been classified as international.