They provide a unique opportunity for students to learn new languages, sharpen cross-cultural skills, broaden worldviews, and gain confidence through facing new challenges and navigating an increasingly interconnected world.  Although the Covid-19 pandemic has currently stalled study abroad programs, it seems likely that they will recover their dynamism in the post-pandemic years to come.

What is the current profile of study abroad participants, and where do Latino students fit into this picture? Which direction are programs taking, and which trends should we look out for?

Hispanic Outlook delves into these issues in the following pages.

Who Are Study Abroad Students?

•  There were 347,099 students studying abroad in 2018-19 (the latest figures available), 88% of whom were undergraduates, and 67% of whom were women.

•  In 2018/19, A little over two-thirds of all study abroad students identified as White, while 11% identified as Hispanic/Latino(a).

•  The percentage of study abroad students who are White has declined from 80.55% a decade ago to 69% in 2018/19, indicating a trend towards greater diversity.

•  The number of Hispanic/ Latino students studying abroad has grown substantially over the past decade. Since 2012/13, Latino students have surpassed Asian-Americans to become the second largest ethnic group studying abroad.

•  The percentage of students identifying as multiracial has also increased notably. 

For how long do students go abroad, and what do they study?

•  Over the past decade, there has been a notable trend towards shorter study abroad experiences. Since 2008/09, participation in yearlong and semester-long study abroad programs has declined, while enrollment in short-term programs (8 weeks or less during the academic year) jumped from 12% in 2008/09 to 19% in 2018/19. Enrollment in very short summer programs (fewer than 2 weeks) has also increased, from 3.3% in 2010/11 to 6.4% in 2018/19.

•  Currently, the largest proportion of students enroll in summer study abroad programs (which includes all programs from less than 2 weeks in duration to more than 8 weeks, although the bulk of enrollment is in 2-8 week long summer programs). Semester-long programs are in second place in terms of enrollment, followed by short-term programs (8 weeks or less during the academic year). Only 2% of study abroad students enroll in year-long programs.

•  Over the past decade, study abroad enrollments in the humanities have fallen notably (from 12.3% of total enrollment in 2008/09 to only 3.3% in 2018/19). There has been a slight decline in the social sciences, foreign language and international studies, education, and fine and applied arts. At the same time, there has been a steady increase in enrollments in STEM fields (from 17.7% of total enrollment in 2008/09 to 26.8% in 2018/19. The areas of Business and Management, Communications and Journalism, and Legal Studies and Law Enforcement have remained at nearly the same levels of enrollment throughout the past decade.

•  In 2018/19, the most popular fields of study for study abroad students were STEM fields (which include Agriculture, Engineering, Health Professions, Math or Computer Science, and Physical or Life Sciences), which represent 26.8% of total enrollment. These were followed by Business and Management in second place (20.7%), and the Social Sciences in third place (17%).

Where do students choose to go for their study abroad experience?

•  Europe has consistently been the most popular destination for study abroad over the past decade, with slightly more than half of all study abroad students choosing countries in this region.

• Latin America and the Caribbean continue to be the second most visited host region, highlighting U.S. students’ ongoing interest in studying Spanish and interacting with Latin American peers.

•  In 2018/19, two Spanish-speaking countries were within the top ten most popular global study abroad destinations: Spain (third most popular, with 10% of total enrollment), and Costa Rica (tenth most popular, with 2% of total enrollment). Other countries in the top ten were the U.K. (11%), Italy (11%), France (5%), Germany (4%), Australia, China, Japan and Ireland (all with 3% respectively).

•  Within Latin America, the top five countries in terms of enrollment in 2018/19 were Costa Rica, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador and Argentina. •

Prepared by Adriana Alcántara.

Source of all data: Institute of International Education (IIE), Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange (2020), retrieved from: https://opendoorsdata.org