[akdb8r]

I am almost certain they meant that statistic [roughly one-third of all degrees went to international students] to apply to non-professional graduate students, not alums writ large.

Honestly, I find it conceivable for "roughly one-third" of all of this year's graduates to be international students. Here's why:

The university reports that in 2016, 11% of undergraduates were international students, and 2,011 undergraduate degrees were awarded (11% of 2,011 degrees is 221.21). Also in 2016, 34% of graduate students were international, and 3,370 graduate degrees were awarded (34% of 3,370 degrees is 1,145.8). So, if everything was equal: you have (221.21 + 1,145.8) / (2,011 + 3,370) = 25.4% of all degrees to international students, which is already within striking distance of 33% (just 7.6% away).

Sources:
http://facts.stanford.edu/academics/unde...te-profile
http://facts.stanford.edu/academics/graduate-profile

But of course, not everything is created equal. Some grad programs are only one year (such as the Sloan Fellowship, which is comprised of >75% international students). Other grad students are stuck in Ph.D. programs for a decade (sometimes more). Additionally, some undegraduates complete their course work in three years. Others take five.

There are differences in degree requirements, and also in how quickly students complete those requirements. So, not knowing the particulars of how demographics might behave, I find it at least conceivable that enough international students complete their degrees relatively quicker to make the ceteris paribus number of 25.4% jump up to somewhere around 33%.

There's no way that even close 1/3 of the undergraduate, law, business, and medical students are foreigners.

I'd politely and respectfully point out that the bold part above is rather misinformed. The GSB is actually one of the heaviest demographics of international students. See the GSB's official stats, in which they note that over 40% of all MBAs are international students, and over 75% of students of the prestigious Sloan Fellows are international students: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/stanford-gs...l-students

Actually, this may again speak in favor of the roughly 33% number. Given that the MSx degree (Sloan Fellowship) and MBA degrees are only one and two years, respectively, whereas the JD degree is three and the MD degree is four, it again lends credibility to the claim that international students are graduating at a faster rate--on average--than non-international students.

tl;dr: based on the official numbers from the university, the claim that "roughly one-third of this year's graduates are international students" seems conceivable.

[akdb8r]

I am almost certain they meant that statistic [roughly one-third of all degrees went to international students] to apply to non-professional graduate students, not alums writ large.

Honestly, I find it conceivable for "roughly one-third" of all of this year's graduates to be international students. Here's why:

The university reports that in 2016, 11% of undergraduates were international students, and 2,011 undergraduate degrees were awarded (11% of 2,011 degrees is 221.21). Also in 2016, 34% of graduate students were international, and 3,370 graduate degrees were awarded (34% of 3,370 degrees is 1,145.8). So, if everything was equal: you have (221.21 + 1,145.8) / (2,011 + 3,370) = 25.4% of all degrees to international students, which is already within striking distance of 33% (just 7.6% away).

Sources:
http://facts.stanford.edu/academics/unde...te-profile
http://facts.stanford.edu/academics/graduate-profile

But of course, not everything is created equal. Some grad programs are only one year (such as the Sloan Fellowship, which is comprised of >75% international students). Other grad students are stuck in Ph.D. programs for a decade (sometimes more). Additionally, some undegraduates complete their course work in three years. Others take five.

There are differences in degree requirements, and also in how quickly students complete those requirements. So, not knowing the particulars of how demographics might behave, I find it at least conceivable that enough international students complete their degrees relatively quicker to make the ceteris paribus number of 25.4% jump up to somewhere around 33%.

There's no way that even close 1/3 of the undergraduate, law, business, and medical students are foreigners.

I'd politely and respectfully point out that the bold part above is rather misinformed. The GSB is actually one of the heaviest demographics of international students. See the GSB's official stats, in which they note that over 40% of all MBAs are international students, and over 75% of students of the prestigious Sloan Fellows are international students: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/stanford-gs...l-students

Actually, this may again speak in favor of the roughly 33% number. Given that the MSx degree (Sloan Fellowship) and MBA degrees are only one and two years, respectively, whereas the JD degree is three and the MD degree is four, it again lends credibility to the claim that international students are graduating at a faster rate--on average--than non-international students.

tl;dr: based on the official numbers from the university, the claim that "roughly one-third of this year's graduates are international students" seems conceivable.