UI: Freshmen enrollment from China holds steady

URBANA, Ill. (AP) - University of Illinois officials say the number of freshmen students from China remained flat this year.

Admissions Director Andrew Borst told The News-Gazette in Champaign that freshmen from China enrolled at Illinois totals 569, five more than in fall 2018. Borst says because many universities are reporting a significant downturn in enrollment from China, he puts "'flat' in the win column."

Borst says graduate enrollment from China was up about 5 percent, mostly in engineering and business.

Chinese enrollment rose steadily at Illinois from fall 2009 through fall 2015. But as trade conflicts and national security concerns increased tensions between the U.S. and China, leading to visa complications, those numbers started to fall off nationally and at Illinois.

Borst says the university has a good reputation in China, adding officials are still happy with the number and quality of applicants from China.