The number of U.S. students studying overseas has reached a new record, part of an upward trend that also shows greater diversity both in the study abroad population and the foreign destinations selected for their studies.
More than 40,000 students of color studied abroad in 2006-07, nearly double the number from 2001, based on data from the Institute of International Education. Overall, African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Americans and multiracial students made up nearly one of every five study abroad students in 2007, says the institute’s annual Open Doors report.
Part of this increase is due to increased marketing at minority-serving institutions as well as greater utilization of scholarships, officials said. Students of color now represent about half of all recipients of Gilman Scholarships, a U.S. State Department initiative authorized by Congress in 2000 to improve study abroad participation by Pell Grant recipients.
The U.S. is “aggressively marketing and expanding the diversity of our international student population,” said Goli Ameri, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, at a news briefing Monday. African American and Hispanic students also represent about 10 percent of all Fulbright scholars, she said.
“We have ensured our outreach campaigns target the full array of talented potential participants from community colleges and minority-serving institutions to public and private universities and colleges,” she said.
Student destinations also are undergoing some changes, the data show. Although Western Europe is still the most popular area for study, the number selecting South Africa, China, Ecuador, India and Saudi Arabia are among those with the largest increases. In each of these countries, the number of U.S. students surged by more than 20 percent, including a 28 percent increase in South Africa.
Officials credited this trend largely to an expansion in the range of study abroad options. Overall, the number of U.S. students studying in Asia and Africa in 2007 increased by 20 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Aside from new locations, many study abroad programs are shorter than one semester in length, making them a viable option for more students.
