FROM AROUND THE WORLD AND ACROSS THE STREET; STUDENTS HEAD TO SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY

Most high school seniors consider programs and degree offerings as a top criteria for selecting a college, but others base their decision strictly on lifestyles and nearby attractions.

Even without any distinct attractions like ski resorts or beach-front campuses, Missouri attracts 22 percent of its first-time freshman from other states and countries.

About 20 percent of the nation's 1.3 million students attend colleges outside of their home state. New England colleges and universities are the biggest importer of college students; New Jersey is the largest exporter.

At least two students from New Jersey were enrolled at Southeast Missouri State University during the 1994-95 year.

Students come to Missouri because it offers reasonable tuition rates and a good education at its public institutions, said Arlene Sweet with the Missouri Coordinating Board of Higher Education in Jefferson City.

"We don't offer any unusual programs," she said, but Missouri's proximity to surrounding states could be a drawing factor.

About 80 percent of Missouri's first-time freshman attend college in their home state, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Students at Southeast Missouri State University come from more than 40 different states and 52 countries.

However, most of the university students don't stray far from home. Some 87 percent of the students are from the Bollinger, Perry, Scott and Cape Girardeau counties. "We have one of the strongest local allegiances of any institution in Missouri, said Jay Goff, Southeast's assistant director of admissions.

The students are also some of the best in the area, he said. About half of the entering freshman class placed in the top 29 percent of their high school class. The class also had an average ACT score of 23, which is three points higher than the national average.

But test scores don't tell the entire story. Many of the students came to Southeast for a specific program. The most popular colleges, based on enrollment numbers, are science and technology, and health and human services.

More than 30 percent of the students declared majors in those colleges when they enrolled at the university, Goff said, adding: "The general trend has been an increase in health and human services and a slight decrease in business."

But there are other reasons students chose Southeast over another university, Goff said, explaining: "They have a personal identity to the area or they have been recruited for an athletic team."

Despite higher tuition costs for out-of-state students, many students are able to establish local residency within a year. However, each university can interpret the statute to fit its own guidelines for residency.

Southeast requires students to live on campus unless they have 56 credit-hours or live with an immediate family member.