U.S. Study Abroad Survey
The U.S. study abroad population is defined as U.S. citizens and permanent residents enrolled in a degree program at an accredited, degree-granting higher education institution in the United States during the 2019/20 academic year, including summer 2020. Data reported for the U.S. Study Abroad Survey lag one year behind data reported for the International Student Census due to the time required for credit transfer to take place after students return to their home campuses.
The survey is divided into two distinct sections. The first section includes only students who received academic credit from their home institution for study abroad. The overall number of students who study abroad used throughout the report is derived from this number. The second section includes students who engaged in non-credit experiential activities abroad including work, internships, volunteering, research and other activities, such as conferences and performances abroad (Table 2.14 and Table 2.15).
This survey was administered in March 2021 to U.S. higher education institutions with follow-ups continuing through June 2021. Study abroad data were obtained from 1,171 or 55 percent of the 2,117 institutions surveyed. The reporting institutions and those for which data were imputed together account for 69 percent of all institutions surveyed. (See Imputation and Estimation for more details).
Most institutions provided detailed information on the characteristics of their students. Response rates for key variables ranged from 100 percent for field of study to 86 percent for race/ethnicity. Response rates may exceed 100 percent due to a single student pursuing multiple majors or pursuing multiple study abroad experiences. Institutions continue to improve data collection on the disability status of study abroad students (33 percent).
Historical table of Key Variable Response Rates.
Beginning with Open Doors 2008, data on the disability status of study abroad students has been collected with the assistance of Mobility International USA (MIUSA).
Beginning with Open Doors 2012, data on non-credit work, internships, and volunteering abroad (WIVA) has been collected.
Beginning with Open Doors 2018, both the for-credit and non-credit WIVA questions were expanded to capture more comprehensive information on all experiential activities abroad to include work, internships, and volunteering as well as research and other activities, such as conferences and performances abroad as well as data on all destinations for non-credit experiences. Additionally, the data collected on the destinations of non-credit experiential activities abroad was expanded from selected destinations to all destinations to allow for comparisons with the data on for-credit experiences abroad.
Study Abroad Participation Rates
The undergraduate participation rate is a proxy estimate of the proportion of students in both two- or four-year cohorts that studied abroad at least once during their undergraduate careers. Undergraduate completion data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) are used to calculate the undergraduate participation rates. The participation rate is calculated by dividing the total number of undergraduates who studied abroad in a given year (as reported in the Open Doors U.S. Study Abroad survey) by the total number of U.S. students (excluding international students) receiving undergraduate degrees, as reported by IPEDS. Due to various factors, such as students dropping out before graduation (non-completions) and varying cohort sizes from year to year, participation rates for individual institutions may exceed 100 percent. The IPEDS data for Open Doors 2021 was published in October 2021 and counts the number of students receiving awards/degrees from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. A national study abroad participation rate has been calculated since 2006/07 using the same methodology.
U.S. Students Enrolled Overseas
From 1954/55 through 1971/72, Open Doors collected data on U.S. students enrolled at foreign institutions directly from overseas institutions. This survey was discontinued in 1973 due to the low response rate.
Beginning in 2011, IIE began to again collect data on U.S. students enrolled for a full degree program in another country. These data are collected through partner organizations in other countries that are members of IIE’s Project Atlas, and cover the 2019/20 academic year, or the most recent year for which Project Atlas partners had data available.
Open Doors is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by IIE.
IIE’s mission is to help people and organizations leverage the power of international education to thrive in today’s interconnected world. IIE’s work focuses on advancing scholarship, building economies, and promoting access to opportunity.
The U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity.
EducationUSA is a U.S. Department of State network of over 430 international student advising centers in more than 175 countries and territories. EducationUSA is committed to promoting the diversity of U.S. higher education to help international students find their best fit.
USA Study Abroad is a U.S. Department of State entity focused on expanding and diversifying study abroad opportunities for U.S. students to gain critical skills in support of our national security and economic prosperity.
