FACT FILE

Demographics of BYU

Approximately 75 percent of the BYU student body speaks a second language, and a total of 76 languages are spoken on-campus. Additionally, the Global Management Center and the Marriott School offer business language classes in 11 languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Language Study at BYU

BYU provides an unusually diverse language instruction program with 80 languages offered to students-among the most offered anywhere in the country. Classes are regularly available in 55 languages, including American Sign Language (ASL) and English as a Second Language (ESL). Thirty one languages are optionally available by credit examination and/or by classroom instruction with sufficient student interest and access to a qualified instructor. BYU also provides live-in language experience with a foreign-language housing complex focusing on 9 languages. It is estimated that more than 75 percent of BYU students have advanced ability in a second language.

Each semester at BYU the number of enrollments in language classes is approximately 31 percent of the student body. The national average is 9 percent.

Facts on the Marriott School

Nearly 75 percent of the students are bilingual at the Marriott School, more than 20 percent speak a third language, and most have lived abroad for at least one year. The school enrolls approximately 10 percent international students.

The MBA language profile is as follows:

20002001200220032004200520062007 2008 2009 
Bilingual 80% 82% 82% 79% 79% 75% 80%  80%  74%  79%
Countries Represented 11 14 12 9 9 11 10  8  14  19
International Students 17% 18% 18% 13% 11% 12% 14%  9%  15%  19%