Nationally, the number of U.S. students studying abroad for credit during the 2023-24 academic year increased by 6 percent to 297,986 students studying abroad. The current total represents one percent of all U.S. students enrolled at institutions of higher education in the United States and less than 10 percent of U.S. college graduates. The Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Program Act would expand the total number of U.S. students studying abroad, increase the diversity of study abroad students to more closely match the undergraduate population, and encourage study in nontraditional locations.
U.S. Study Abroad Participation by State
See the U.S. study abroad participation for each state for Academic Year 2023-2024.
Percent of U.S. Study Abroad Students by Race/Ethnicity
Although the diversity of study abroad participation has increased in recent years, minority students are still greatly underrepresented in study abroad.
| Race/Ethnicity | U.S. Postsecondary Enrollment | U.S. Students Abroad |
|---|---|---|
| African American or Black | 12.8% | 6.1% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 7.1% | 10.4% |
| Caucasian | 44.4% | 65.2% |
| Hispanic/Latino American | 21.2% | 12.2% |
| Multiracial | 4.0% | 5.7% |
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.7% | 0.4% |
Percent of U.S. Study Abroad Students by Host Region
An overwhelming majority of U.S. study abroad takes place in Europe with 48.5 percent of students studying in just five countries, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
U.S. Students Abroad
| Host Region | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 3.9% | 3.3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 3.0% |
| Asia | 11.7% | 9.1% | 12.3% | 4.7% | 9.4% | 10.2% |
| Europe | 55.7% | 57.9% | 66.3% | 73.1% | 64.4% | 64.1% |
| Latin America | 13.8% | 13.4% | 11.0% | 10.3% | 10.7% | 10.5% |
| Middle East | 2.3% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| North America | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% |
| Oceania | 4.4% | 7.1% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 3.2% | 3.3% |
| Multiple Regions | 7.5% | 5.4% | 7.5% | 5.5% | 6.0% | 6.5% |
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.