Chennai|India|June' 2009: For the third straight time, the University of Dayton, Ohio has demonstrated its position as a leader in international education in the largest survey of international student satisfaction in the world.

"We are pleased that international students continue to find quality in the experience and education they receive at the University of Dayton," said Amy Anderson, director of the University pf Dayton's Center for International Programs. "This survey has been a great tool to focus our efforts on meeting the needs of international students."

According to an International Student Barometer (ISB) survey conducted during the fall 2008 semester, the University of Dayton had the highest average score in three out of four categories of 13 Ohio colleges and universities. The University ranked first overall, taking the top spot for learning, living and support services. The survey drew on feedback from more than 70,000 students at 95 colleges and universities worldwide, including 4,450 international students attending universities in the state of Ohio.

The University of Dayton ranked No. 1 in the world in the last two surveys (winter semester 2007 and fall semester 2007), and the school's overall satisfaction rating this year is 5.9 percentage points higher than the worldwide average. The Ohio schools participated as a group in the survey, which closed after the results of other schools were counted, making worldwide rankings unavailable.

"This is among the highest ratings we've seen in the markets in which we administer the ISB," said William Archer, Director of International Graduate Insight Group, the organization that administers the ISB. "The University of Dayton has a number of areas where they achieve extraordinary ratings from their students.

"Perhaps the most significant testament to quality is the exceptional number of University of Dayton international students who said they would recommend the University to others,” Archer said.

Participating schools use the ISB as an indicator of student satisfaction in areas including student advising, quality of on-campus accommodations, language support, teaching and worship facilities. The University of Dayton utilizes survey results to continuously focus on and meet the needs of the international student population

Thirty-five percent of the University of Dayton's international student population responded to the survey. Respondents included undergraduate and graduate students, students in the Intensive English Program and exchange students. Approximately 460 international students and visiting scholars attend and conduct research at the University of Dayton. The most highly represented countries are India, China and Saudi Arabia.

The University of Dayton, which attracts Indian students to graduate programs in electrical engineering; chemical and mechanical engineering and computer science, saw an increase last year of about 6 percent in the number of Indian students. Indian students make up almost 40 percent of the University of Dayton's international student population, chiefly as graduate students. About half of the 70 graduate-level Indian students are enrolled in the School of Engineering.

Krithika Sambamoorthy was 16 years old and just out of high school when she first came to the University of Dayton from Tamil Nadu. "I was all by myself and 10,000 miles away from my parents for the first time," said Sambamoorthy. "The university community was really friendly, all the professors and everybody I came across. Everyone was really welcoming. They made the transition easy for me." She liked the environment and academics so well, after she earned a bachelor's degree in computer engineering, she chose the University of Dayton for her master's in electrical engineering, graduating in 2008. She now works as a software consultant in nearby Cincinnati.

Sree kanth Vemulapalli from Hyderabad is in his second year of a graduate program for a master's degree in electrical engineering at the University of Dayton. He said the University offered excellent research opportunities in electrical engineering, along with a strong community that welcomes Indian students. "They are helpful here, with many events and international festivals," he said. "We have a community of about 100 Indian graduate students so we give good support to each other."

The International Student Barometer is a product of i-Graduate, an independent education benchmarking and research service.