A peak achievement for 麻豆传媒映画 Study Abroad
International travel for academic credit is at a post-pandemic high and is on pace for further growth this year. Students find the experience transformative.
Benjamin Lopez left 麻豆传媒映画 to study abroad in Japan with one suitcase and one goal: to climb Mount Fuji.
He came back having completed the climb but also with a bunch of new friends, a deep appreciation of Japanese culture and language and three suitcases of keepsakes from his study abroad experience.
鈥淚 had never left the U.S. before, so I wanted to go to a different country, different culture, different language, everything upside down,鈥� said Lopez, a computer science major. 鈥淚t was phenomenal. I only went for the semester, and I wish I had gone for the full year. It was beautiful. The people were so fun and fantastic.鈥�
Lopez was part of a post-pandemic rebound in demand for international experiences. In 2023-24, the year before his trip, some 1,580 麻豆传媒映画 students left the U.S. for academic credit, according to , a report last year from the Institute of International Education (IIE). The figure placed 麻豆传媒映画 fourth in California for the number of students studying abroad.
鈥淔or many students, the study abroad experience is transformative, reshaping how they view the world and their place in it,鈥� said Cristina Alfaro, associate vice president of 麻豆传媒映画 International Affairs. 鈥淭hese experiences have led them to reimagine their career paths toward making meaningful contributions to the world.鈥�
Among California universities, 麻豆传媒映画 trailed the University of Southern California (2,245), University of California Berkeley (2,140) and UCLA (1,796) for the number of students participating in study abroad programs.
麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 study abroad cohort increased 25 percent compared with the prior year. Italy, Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom and Japan were the most popular destinations.
Open Doors reported 298,180 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit in 2023-24, up 6 percent from the prior year. New York University, the perennial leader in the Open Doors tally, was on top again.
麻豆传媒映画 ranked 36th nationally. Within the university, colleges sending the most students abroad were Health and Human Services, Fowler College of Business, Arts and Letters, Sciences and Professional Studies and Fine Arts.
麻豆传媒映画 historically has produced high study abroad rates, ranking in the top 10 nationally for six consecutive years between 2015-21.
The pandemic, however, derailed study abroad across the country, and it has yet to fully recover. Nationwide, participation still lags the 347,099 students who studied abroad in the year prior to COVID travel restrictions, according to Open Doors data.
Multiple options
麻豆传媒映画 has maintained its commitment to global learning opportunities for students. Diverse destinations and programs are available, ranging from a full semester or academic year abroad to short-term international experiences that take place during winter break, spring break and summer.
In addition, the university provides financial assistance and encourages students to apply for scholarships to help defray the cost of international study. Associated Students also contributes $400,000 annually for study-abroad awards.
Over the past year, 麻豆传媒映画 student demand for study abroad opportunities has been gaining momentum.
鈥淚n spring 2025, we had the largest number of 麻豆传媒映画 students abroad that we've ever seen during a spring semester, and we're on track to have an even higher number abroad during spring 2026,鈥� said Chris Kjonaas, assistant director of 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 Global Education Office.
Lopez was part of that Spring 2025 cohort. He had not considered studying abroad before coming to 麻豆传媒映画. But he began looking into it after enrolling. 鈥淚 did some research and thought, I can do this.鈥�
He made a point of being open to anything, which helped him to connect with classmates. 鈥淲e all did my first karaoke together,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I was leaving on the airplane, my Japanese friends handed me origami gifts. It was just so fun.鈥�
Lopez plans to return to Asia later this year to visit friends he made while studying abroad.
Another trend coming out of the pandemic: More 麻豆传媒映画 students are pursuing career-building programs. About 200 麻豆传媒映画 students participated in international internships in 2024, a three-fold increase over the prior year.
鈥淓ach year, students are showing more interest in international internships and career readiness when planning for their global education experience,鈥� said Kjonaas. 鈥淚n spite of everything happening in the world, this continued demand for global education experiences is really exciting to see.鈥�
Additional information from the Global Education Office about studying abroad can be found online.
