National trend shows students studying abroad at record numbers

An increasing number of students from Minnesota colleges and universities opted to study overseas during the 2005-06 academic year, mirroring a national trend that saw the total number of students studying abroad rise to record numbers, according to Open Doors, a study conducted annually by the Institute of International Education with support from U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

By Tim Harlow, Star Tribune

Last update: November 12, 2007 - 12:41 PM

A record 223,534 students from U.S. colleges spent anywhere from a January or summer term to more than a year earning academic credit in a foreign country. That was up 8.5 percentage points from the 2004-05 school year when 205,993 students went abroad and up 150 percent from the 1995-96 year when fewer than 90,000 students took classes over seas, the study said.

Minnesota's 8,614 students who went abroad was an increase of 5 percentage points from 2004-05 when there were 8,182. Minnesota placed seventh nationally, behind California, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus placed sixth for the total number of students sent abroad with 1,981 students. New York University was the leading sending institution with 2,809.

Among institutions granting Master's Degrees, St. Cloud State with 408 students placed 24th, Hamline with 407 came in at 25th, the University of Minnesota-Duluth ranked 30th with 368 and Bethel University in Arden Hills with 330 was 37th.

For institutions awarding baccalaureate degrees, St. Olaf College in Northfield came in at No. 2 with 638 students, closely followed by St. John's University/College of St. Benedict at No. 4 with 515 students, Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter at No. 8 with 476, Concordia College in Moorhead at No. 9 with 435, Carleton College in Northfield at No. 25 with 316, Macalester College in St. Paul at No. 34 with 287.

Although large institutions send larger total numbers, many smaller institutions report that a much higher proportion of their students study abroad. St. Olaf College was one of 18 institutions that said 80 percent or more of their students spend some time studying abroad, the study said.

Even specialzied institutions are sending students abroad. Minneapolis College of Art and Design had 21 students that spend at least one semester abroad during the 2005-06 academic year.

The most popular place to study abroad was the United Kingdom with 32,109 students, but others headed to more exotic locales, including India, Israel, Turkey, Hong Kong, South Korea, Vietnam and Jordan.

The study partly attributed the rise in students studying abroad to a wider range of opportunities in Latin American, African and Middle Eastern countries.

Of those going abroad to study, more than half participated in programs of eight weeks or less while 37 percent spent an entire semester in their country of choice. Only 5.5 percent stayed an entire year or longer, the study said.

Tim Harlow • harlow@startribune.com