NAFSA: Association of International Educators
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Demographics of Study Abroad

In the 2006-2007 academic year, 241,791 students studied abroad for academic credit, which is an 8.5% increase over the previous year. However, even with this increase the number of students studying abroad still only represents approximately 1% of all enrolled students. The charts below show a profile of study abroad today.


Percent of U.S. Study Abroad Students by Race/Ethnicity

Race/Ethnicity U.S. Postsecondary Enrollment 2006-2007 U.S. Students Abroad 2006-2007
African American 11.3% 3.8%
Asian American 7.3% 6.7%
Caucasian 57.5% 81.9%
Hispanic/Latino American 11.9% 6.0%
Multiracial Not Available 1.2%
Native American 0.9% 0.5%
Nonresident Alien 3.3% Not Available
Race/Ethnicity Unknown 7.8% Not Available


Percent of U.S. Study Abroad Students by Host Region

Host Region U.S. Students Abroad 2005-2006
Africa 4.2%
Asia 10.3%
Europe 57.4%
Latin America 15.0%
Middle East 1.2%
North America 0.6%
Oceania 5.7%
Multiple Regions 5.6%


Percent of U.S. Study Abroad Students by Field of Study

Academic Field of Study U.S. Postsecondary Enrollment 2003-2004 U.S. Students Abroad 2003-2004
Agriculture 0.4% 1.2%
Business & Management 15.7% 17.5%
Education 8.9% 4.1%
Engineering 3.1% 2.9%
Fine or Applied Arts 4.9% 7.6%
Foreign Languages 0.4% 7.5%
Health Sciences 12.2% 3.4%
Humanities 7.4% 13.3%
Math or Computer Science 4.7% 1.7%
Other 5.4% 7.8%
Physical & Life Sciences 3.3% 7.1%
Social Science 12.0% 22.6%
Undeclared 19.8% 3.4%

Study Abroad Participation by State

The information in the charts above is based on the most current data from the Institute of International Education's Open Doors Report and the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics.