ATHENS, Ga. — According to the annual report on international student mobility released today by the Institute of International Education (IIE), the University of Georgia had 1268 students studying abroad during 2001/02, an increase of 3.2% from the previous year. This brings the University of Georgia into the top ten universities in the nation for the number of students who studied abroad. As of the end of academic year 2002/03, 18% of graduating seniors had participated in study abroad. This continued dramatic growth in study abroad participation over the last ten years has brought UGA national recognition not only for the number of students studying abroad but also for the number and diversity of study abroad programs offered by the University. Currently, the university offers its students over 100 study abroad and exchange programs in 33 countries. The University’s goal is to send 25% of the graduating seniors abroad by 2010.
Despite a weak economy and post-9/11 concerns, American students continue to regard study abroad as a critical component of their higher education experience. The number of U.S. university-level students receiving credit for study abroad in 2001/02 increased 4.4% from the previous year, reaching a record total of 160,920, according to Open Doors 2003, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with funding from the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. (See www.opendoors.iienetwork.org for complete report).
Open Doors 2003 reports that the 4.4% increase in U.S. students abroad in academic year 2001/02, while not as steep a growth rate as the previous year’s 7.4% increase, is still a strong indicator of the tremendous interest in study abroad, especially given the challenging economic and geopolitical context in which students were making their study abroad decisions. On the whole, study abroad has been increasing dramatically in recent years, with four years of double-digit growth in the “boom” years of the late 1990s. Since 1991/92, the number of students studying abroad has more than doubled (from 71,154 to 160,920, an increase of 126%).
For public institutions whose involvement in study abroad started more recently, the growth has been even more dramatic. Between 1993 and 2003, UGA had a 285% growth in study abroad (from 374 to 1441 students abroad). “UGA has sought for some time to break into the top ten of America’s most globalized universities and I am delighted that we have done so on several measures. I attribute our success to the leadership of President Adams, the hard work of the staff in International Education, and the continuing outstanding commitment by our faculty to Study Abroad” said Mark Lusk, Associate Provost for International Affairs.
A new IIE on-line survey conducted last month also indicates that Study Abroad is more popular than ever among U.S. students. Reporting on the change in the number of U.S. students who are currently studying abroad in Fall 2003 (as compared to the same time last year), 68% (158) of the 235 campus study abroad professionals responding noted the number of students studying abroad had either continued to increase or remained the same. Fifty percent (116) of the respondents reported an increase in the number of students currently studying abroad (up from 45% reporting increases in a similar survey in Fall 2002), and an additional 18% (42) reported no noticeable change. Of the 50% reporting an increase, 19% (43) reported a slight increase of 10% or less, 20% (47) reported increases of 11-30%, and 11% (26) have seen substantial increases of more than 30%. Thirty one percent of respondents reported a decline in study abroad this fall, with only 4% of those reporting a substantial drop (more than 30%) in the number of students studying abroad. Those who report declines blame mainly the economy, tuition increases, and parents’ concerns about safety. Campus professionals have reported increased interest in study abroad in each of the years following 9/11, according to IIE surveys conducted in Fall 2001 and 2002 (see Open Doors website for full reports).
In response to the latest study abroad figures, Patricia S. Harrison, Assistant Secretary for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, which funds the Open Doors report said, “We are gratified by the continuing increase in the number of U.S. students studying abroad. A 4.4% growth is extremely encouraging, and shows that American students continue to recognize that preparation for success in a global future needs to include overseas study. And the reports from American campuses suggest that the trend is toward even greater growth ahead. Overall, the numbers demonstrate quite clearly that students realize that the world of tomorrow will require everyone to be globally aware and conversant.”
The number of students going to study in less traditional destinations continues to grow. In 2001/02, for the first time, the number of American students going to the United Kingdom fell slightly (by 0.5%), although with over 30,000 U.S. students, the UK is still the leading destination. Spain surpassed Italy this year to become the second-leading destination, with an increase of 7% to 17,176 U.S. students, while Italy, now at #3, increased by 6.5% to 17,169. Among the countries with the most dramatic increases were China (#9, up 33% to 3,911), Japan (#11, up 21% to 3,168), Czech Republic (#15, up 30% to 1,659), South Africa (#17, up 32% to 1,456), Brazil (#23 up 40% to 1,064), and Thailand (#29, up 69% to 836).
At the University of Georgia, the top 10 destinations for study abroad in 2002/03 (United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria, France, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Germany, Mexico and Argentina) included countries from three regions of the world. But following close behind the top ten countries are several destinations in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe that are becoming increasingly popular, as students expand their horizons beyond Western Europe. In 2002/03 UGA students spanned the globe with 64.2% in Western Europe, 14.9% in Latin America, the Caribbean and North America, 6.6% in Australia and New Zealand, 4.9% in Africa, 4.7% visiting multiple regions, 2.4% in Asia, 1.8% in Eastern Europe, and 0.6% in the Middle East.
“The continuing and strong increase in study abroad is especially important against the backdrop of today’s headlines. Having our successor generation learn more about other countries and societies — while serving as cultural ambassadors to their peers — enables young Americans to contribute directly to creating a more peaceful world,” commented IIE President Allan E. Goodman.
In order to facilitate study abroad for all students, the Institute of International Education has been working with the US government and other private sponsors to create additional funding opportunities for students who wish to study abroad. The Fulbright Student Program, the U.S. government’s premier public diplomacy exchange program, which IIE has administered on behalf of the U.S. State Department for over 56 years, annually sends over 1,000 American students to over 140 countries around the world, providing funding for career-launching study or research abroad to be conducted after graduation from an accredited university. In 2001, Congress created the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship program for undergraduates, to provide scholarships of up to $5,000 for study abroad to students receiving federal financial aid. The program (www.iie.org/gilman/) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and administered by IIE. Nearly 6,500 students have applied for Gilman Scholarships to date, and the program has assisted over 850 students from a wide range of economic and ethnic backgrounds to go to a wide variety of non-traditional destinations.
The National Security Education Program David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarships (http://www.iie.org/nsep/) have enabled more than 1,750 students to study over 60 languages in over 65 countries since 1994. NSEP focuses on less commonly taught languages and countries of the world underrepresented in study abroad. IIE’s Freeman Awards for Study in Asia program (www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia/) assists financially needy U.S. undergraduates who wish to study in East or Southeast Asia. This program has already provided scholarships to over 1,500 students, and will offer support to an additional 1,100 U.S. students by 2005. The impact of the Freeman-ASIA grants are specifically reflected in the strong increases in the number of US students going to China and Japan in recent years. All of these scholarship programs are serving to increase students’ language proficiency and encourage a growing awareness of cultures outside of English-speaking countries and Western Europe.
In addition to the scholarship opportunities offered through the Institute of International Education and other private organizations, the University of Georgia and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia are working to reduce the financial hurdles that students who wish to study abroad may face. Last year, 60 University of Georgia students received assistance through two new scholarship programs funded in part by the Board of Regents and in part by institutional and UGA Foundation funds. The STARS (Students Abroad with Regents Support) Work Stipends and STARS Assistantships offer opportunities for students to work on campus or while abroad to help fund their study abroad experience. In addition, UGA’s Office of International Education is holding a fundraiser on Monday, November 17 to raise funds for study abroad scholarships, while celebrating the opening of International Education Week (Nov. 16-22). Monday’s International Education Week Celebration will include an international feast, a silent auction, an international photo contest and entertainment. It will be held from 6-9 p.m. in the Tate Student Center, Georgia Hall. Tickets can be purchased at the door.
Open Doors 2003 indicates that most students continue to study abroad for shorter sojourns (many for less than eight weeks), with more than 50% of U.S. undergraduates and masters degree students electing summer, January term, internships, and other short-term programs instead of academic year or semester programs. Most American students who studied abroad in 2001/02 (91%) did so for one semester or less.
Open Doors 2003 reports that twenty-five U.S. campuses, primarily large research institutions, awarded academic credit for study abroad last year to more than 1,000 of their students. New York University sent the most students abroad (1,872) in 2001/02, followed by Michigan State University (1,819), University of Texas at Austin (1,591), University of Pennsylvania (1,461), Georgetown University (1,412), University of Wisconsin at Madison (1,340), Boston University (1,330), University of Arizona (1,326), Penn State-University Park (1,270), and University of Georgia (1,268). However, some of the smaller institutions report that a much higher proportion of their students study abroad. Open Doors 2003 also lists campuses according to the percentage of their students who study overseas at some point in their four-year college careers (participation rate). The following colleges are the leaders in study abroad participation, each reporting that over 80% of their students study abroad. In alphabetical order they are: Austin College, Berea College, Carleton College, Chatham College, Dickinson College, Earlham College, Eckerd College, Elon College, Kalamazoo College, Lawrence University, Lewis and Clark College, Linfield College, Marlboro College, Saint Olaf College, Union College, and Wofford College.
Highlights of Study Abroad Data from Open Doors 2003: (for additional statistics: www.opendoors.iienetwork.org.)
The number of U.S. students going to less traditional destinations remains high. While Europe (with 63% of total students reported) continues to be the most popular region for U.S. students pursuing education abroad – 100,668 students, up 4% this year – other regions are eliciting strong interest from United States students. The percentage of all study abroad students going to Latin America has more than doubled since 1985, from 7% the first year of the survey to 15% this year, and the number of students going to Latin America increased by 4% to 23,300 this year. Other regions that have seen an increase include Oceania (up 18%, 10,952) Africa (up 2%, 4,633), and Asia (up 18%, 10,901). Following the previous year’s decline, the number of students going to North America (Canada and Bermuda) increased this year by 13% to 1,251, and those going to the Middle East declined by 21% to 1,310.
Many countries, particularly in Asia, Latin America, and Africa, saw large increases in the number of American students they hosted in 2001/02. Countries with large increases included: Japan (3,168, up 21%), South Africa (1,456, up 32%), Cuba (1,279, up 41%), Brazil (1,064, up 40%), Belgium, (867, up 30%), Thailand (836, up 69%), Korea (631, up 21%), Peru (522, up 47%), Singapore (231, up 97%), Senegal (211, up 51%), and El Salvador (145, up 86%).
Most of the top 20 host countries experienced increased U.S. enrollment except for the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, and Austria. Spain surpassed Italy as the second-leading destination for U.S. students abroad. Countries hosting the most American students are: United Kingdom (30,143, down less than 1%), Spain (17,176, up 7%), Italy (17,169 up 7%), France (12,274, up 3%), Australia (9,456, up 17%), Mexico (8,078, down 3%), Germany (4,856, down 5%), Ireland (4,375, up 10%), China (3,911, up 33%), Costa Rica (3,781, up 4%), Japan (3,168, up 21%), Austria (2,180, down 9%), Greece (1,856, up 6%), Netherlands (1,676, up 3%), Czech Republic (1,659, up 30%), Chile (1,492, up 21%), South Africa (1,456, up 32%), Ecuador (1,425 up 9%), New Zealand (1,326 up 18%), and Cuba (1,279 up 41%).
In 2001/02, The leading fields of study for Americans abroad were social science (22%), business and management (18%), humanities (14%), fine or applied arts (9%), and foreign languages (9%), followed by physical sciences (8%) education (4%), health sciences (3%), engineering (3%), and math or computer science (2%).
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The Open Doors 2003 report is published by the Institute of International Education, the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. IIE has conducted the annual statistical survey of the foreign students in the United States since 1949, and has been collecting study abroad figures since 1986. A grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs underwrites the research and report. In addition to study abroad, separate surveys are conducted to generate statistics on foreign scholars, and foreign students enrolled in pre-academic Intensive English Programs. Open Doors 2003 will be available from IIE Books in January 2004 for $42.95. and can be ordered from the IIE Online Bookstore: http://www.iiebooks.org.
