The number of U.S. students studying abroad rose after a recession-driven dip, a new report shows.
But in Minnesota, the number sagged, again.
In 2009-'10, (there's a lag) 8,904 of the students in Minnesota colleges and universities studied abroad, according to the annual "Open Doors" report by the Institute of International Education. That's down 1.6 percent from the year before, which itself was down 5.5 percent from the year before that.
At the University of Minnesota, about 166 fewer students studied abroad in 2009-'10 than the year before.
It was the university's first drop, said Jennifer Schulz, spokeswoman for the U's Global Programs and Strategy Alliance. Facing budget cuts, some departments chose to cut study- abroad programs, Schulz said.
Numbers have since rebounded, she said. "We are seeing now that students and parents are feeling more comfortable and confident about the economy and their finances."
Meanwhile, the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University ranked No. 1 in semester-long study abroad among schools granting bachelor degrees, despite a slight decline in participating students.
Their numbers mirror some of the national trends. For example, shorter-term stays have become more popular. Such experiences "enrich a student's major or minor in a very focused way," said Peggy Retka, director of the schools' Office for Education Abroad.
