Research consistently demonstrates the multifaceted benefits of studying abroad. Studies reveal that students who participate in international programs often exhibit improved academic performance without prolonging their time to graduation, attributed to the diverse academic experiences and global perspectives gained. Moreover, employers highly value the skills cultivated through study abroad experiences, including adaptability and problem-solving, making students more competitive in the job market. Additionally, immersion in a foreign language environment significantly enhances language proficiency, providing students with practical language skills crucial for today's global workforce. Lastly, the exposure to different cultures fosters intercultural understanding and a broader global context, equipping students with invaluable insights for navigating an increasingly interconnected world.
Far from the fears that studying abroad will delay a student’s graduation, multiple large-scale studies have found that students who study abroad, especially underrepresented or “at-risk” students, are more likely to complete their degrees or certificate programs than students who did not study abroad. In addition, several studies have shown that students who study abroad have a higher GPA than similar students who stayed on campus, even when controlling for external factors. This impact is even more pronounced for minority and at-risk students.
Across different subgroups of students, there is correlation between studying abroad and student success even when controlled for external factors.
- CASSIE (2020) descriptive statistical reports for:
- Taking Longer, but Finishing Just as Strong: A Comparison of Pell and Non-Pell Study Abroad Participants' GPA and Time-to-Graduation (2019)
A variety of research provides evidence that study abroad enhances skills that are valued by employers. For example, NAFSA’s research (2020) with Emsi, a global labor market consulting firm, reported that the global skills students hone while on a study abroad experience are mentioned in 30+ million job postings. Below are several other recent studies that highlight the connection between study abroad and career pathways and possibilities.
- Boosting Career and Employability Outcomes Through Multiple Learning Abroad Experiences (2023)
- Indicates that even short-term study abroad experiences have an affect on employability outcomes
- Global Workforce Pathways (2023)
- 89 percent indicated that participation in NRC activities supported their development of 21st-century job skills relevant to their professional and academic journeys
- They reported significantly developing 14 out of the 15 intrapersonal, cognitive, and interpersonal skills through activities related to language and area studies
- Internationalization and Employability: Assessing the Effects of Study Abroad Programs on Participants' Employability (2022)
- Outlines that study abroad helped respondents augment “marketable skills” such as “global-mindedness, self-confidence, self-awareness, international knowledge, second language skills, communicating with others, relationships with others, and confidence/self-esteems)”
- Employability Development and Career Outcomes from Short-term Learning Abroad Programmes (2021)
- Former study abroad participants were positive about the perceived benefits provided by their international study experiences in terms of their employment outcomes
- Does Studying Abroad Influence Graduates’ Wages? (2021)
- Suggests that studying abroad has a moderate positive effect on graduates’ early-career wages in various national and institutional settings
- Linking Development of Skills and Perceptions of Employability: The Case of Erasmus Students (2020)
- The two main motivations for choosing an international exchange as a strategy to enhance employability: pursuing an international career and pursuing distinction from peers
- Developing a Globally Competitive Workforce Through Study Abroad (2020)
- More than 31 million job openings required skills that a student acquires while studying abroad
- The Value of Study Abroad Experience in the Labor Market: Findings from a Resume Audit Experiment (2020)
- Compared to resumes that list no study abroad experience, resumes that included a study abroad experience in Asia regardless of length were approximately 20 percent more likely to receive a callback for an interview
- How education abroad impacts the transition to graduate employment (2020)
- Provides an overview of recent literature and research connecting employment and international experience.
- Investing in Study Abroad and Cultural Engagement: A Win-Win for Career Development (2020)
- 57 percent of respondents believe their study abroad experience contributed to securing their first job
- Understanding study abroad participants' career decisions and perspectives in US higher education (2018)
- Suggests that study abroad helped students develop their career identify and make relevant decisions on their educational plans and career paths
- Gaining an Employment Edge: The Impact of Study Abroad on 21st Century Skills & Career Prospects in the United States (2017)
- More than half of survey respondents reported that they believe their study abroad experience contributed to a job offer at some point
- Career Outcomes of Study Abroad Students (2016)
- Overview of career outcomes of over 1200 recent college graduates who had participated in an IES Abroad study or internship program. Looks at the impact of study abroad on professional decisions and skills and the value that alumni place on the experience abroad
Study Abroad is a Value Add for Employers
- Future of Jobs Report: Insight Report (2023)
- The top 3 core skills for workers in 2023 are: analytical thinking, creating thinking, and self-efficacy (resilience, flexibility, and agility).
- How College Contributes to Workforce Success (2021)
- 44 percent of respondents said they were much more likely to hire a candidate with a “global learning experience that included exposure to diverse experiences and perspectives and application of learning to their major and their own life”
- Making Languages Our Business: Addressing Foreign Language Demand Among U.S. Employers (2019)
- 90 percent of U.S. employers surveyed report a reliance on U.S.-based employees with language skills beyond English
Research showcases that studying abroad offers an immersive environment where language learners are constantly exposed to real-life situations, conversations, and cultural nuances, accelerating their language acquisition. In multiple longitudinal studies that tracking students over several semesters, study abroad has made a positive impact on a students’ gains in language learning.
- Short-Term and Long-Term Study Abroad: The Impact on Language Learners’ Intercultural Communication, L2 Confidence, and Sense of L2 Self (2023)
- Short-term and long-term study abroad experiences achieved significant benefits in increased second language speaking confidence
- Impact of Studying Abroad on Language Skill Development: Regression Discontinuity Evidence from Japanese University Students (2023)
- Studying abroad significantly improved international posture and perceived communication competence in a foreign language, which are the two traits found to be important determinants of future development in language ability in applied linguistics literature
- Study Abroad for Anglophones: Language Learning Through Multilingual Practices (2021)
- Participants were “high gainers” in foreign language skills when multilingual practices and varied strategies were adopted such as building long-term relationships with target language speakers alongside regular use of English with home social networks and local networks of international friends
- A Longitudinal Study of Advanced Learners’ Linguistic Development Before, During, and After Study Abroad (2021)
- Findings suggest that the affordances of home and abroad contexts can shape learners’ linguistic development and use differently
- Grammatical and Lexical Development During Short-Term Study Abroad: Exploring L2 Contact and Initial Proficiency (2020)
- Results suggest that learners at both intermediate and advanced levels can experience linguistic gains during short-term study abroad, and that initial proficiency plays a limited role in explaining variability in gains among these learners
Studying abroad is a unique and transformational learning experience. Students who have studied abroad appreciate the complexity of global issues, have greater intercultural learning, and are more self-aware. One study found that students returned from their study abroad experiences more tolerant and less fearful of other countries, but with a greater sense of nationalism—a phenomenon they called "enlightened nationalism” (2015).
- Increasing Intercultural Competency in Study Abroad Marketing Classes: Implementing the Intercultural Development Inventory (2022)
- Students in a marketing course that included spending a week on an education abroad program to Belize scored higher on the IDI in their post-test
- Comparing Students’ Study Abroad Experiences and Outcomes Across Global Context (2021)
- Studying abroad in countries with varying “cultural distances” can provide important learning
- The Impact of Study Abroad on College Students' Intercultural Competence and Personal Development (2018)
- Study abroad increased their self-confidence, global-mindedness, patience, assertiveness, maturity, self-awareness, flexibility and adaptability
- Exploring the Microfoundations of International Community: Toward a Theory of Enlightened Nationalism (2015)
- Students returned from their study abroad experiences more tolerant and less fearful of other countries, but with a greater sense of nationalism—a phenomenon dubbed "enlightened nationalism”