Yesterday, in celebration of International Education Week #IEW2017, we attended the Institute of International Education’s (IIE) Open Doors 2017 briefing at the National Press Club. This year’s Open Doors report shows both improvements and declines in study abroad to and from the United States. Overall, the U.S. saw a 3.4% increase in international students and a 4% increase in U.S. students studying abroad.
We are happy to see a continued boost in student mobility and remain committed as ever to connecting higher education institutions across borders to exchange knowledge, build programs and foster long-term partnerships. Through our two programs, 100,000 Strong in the Americas and Capacity Building Grants for U.S. Undergraduate Study Abroad (CBG), we have supported Study Abroad in a diversity of ways.
The 100,000 Strong in the Americas Innovation Fund focuses on increasing international education and training opportunities for students within the Western Hemisphere and is supported by the Western Hemisphere Affairs office at the Department of State. The CBG program focused on diversifying the destination countries, academic majors and student population who study abroad globally. This program is supported by the USA Study Abroad office within the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the Department of State. The grants awarded through CBG have contributed to the modest increase in the proportion of U.S. minority students studying abroad in the past ten years. As of 2015/16, just under one third of U.S. students studying abroad identify as a racial or ethnic minority.
Highlights of the Open Doors 2017 Report for the Western Hemisphere
- Three countries placed in the top 10 countries sending students to the US to study – Canada at #5, Mexico at #9 and Brazil at #10 (despite significant percentage decreases in the number of Brazilian students studying abroad in the U.S.)
- Seven countries placed in the top 25 study abroad destinations for U.S. students – Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru.
- Latin America and the Caribbean placed #2 in the top study abroad host regions for U.S. students.
- Nicaragua, Mexico and the Dominican Republic lead as destinations worldwide for non-credit work, internships, and volunteering abroad.
- Significant increase in the number of U.S. students studying abroad in the Caribbean from 2014/15 to 2015/16. Cuba experienced a 58.6% increase alone.
- Costa Rica placed #9 in the top study abroad destinations, traditionally dominated by Europe.
- Substantial increase in the number of U.S. students studying abroad in four Latin American countries from 2014/15 to 2015/16 – Colombia, Honduras, Paraguay and Nicaragua.
For more information on the Open Doors 2017 report, visit www.iie.org/opendoors. To follow Partners’ activity in higher education, visit partners.net/higher-education or follow us at #100KStrongAmericas and #StudyAbroadBecause.
