Increasing tuition at U.S. schools could also be responsible for encouraging international students to attend schools in other countries. Nonetheless, Penn State's name is well recognized internationally and is still a "big draw" when it comes time for students to make a decision, Assaf said.

The Penn State Admissions office continues to advertise in selected International publications, work with overseas advising centers, and participate in overseas recruitment fairs, Adams said.

Along with other universities, Penn State travels on a recruiting tour with other universities aimed at Asian, Latin American and European countries.

"Undergraduate school in the U.S. is relatively simple. European universities give you too much information; here the education is more practical," said Cenk Ursavas (graduate-industrial engineering), a native of Turkey. "Also there is more funding and more up to date research at Penn State for grad students."

Ursavas originally heard about Penn State from a friend. He also applied to Yale University and Purdue University, but did not apply to universities outside of the United States. Because Turkish government funds paid for graduate school, Ursavas said he never considered going anywhere outside the United States. Despite the competition, Assaf said international undergraduate student attendance at Penn State has "increased quite a lot in the past 10 years -- almost doubled."

Engineering students make up the largest percentage of international students, she said.

Associate Vice Provost for Educational Equality Tom Poole said the Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State explained Penn State's recruiting agenda.

According to the document, some of the targeted areas for improvement are mentoring and scholarship programs for minorities. "When we recruit international students, we hope to bring a perspective that adds to the university. The cultural experiences and the modes of thinking that these students bring are much different from those of domestic students," Poole said. "It's a valuable contribution to our diversity efforts."