Study Abroad Programs for College Students

The number of US students studying abroad declined 91% from 162,633 to 14,549 during the pandemic, according to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers.

Fortunately, things returned to normal, and now anyone looking to visit a foreign country for a semester or a full academic year has multiple options.

Below are 20 of the study abroad programs available at the top colleges and universities in the US:

• Abilene Christian University
• Agnes Scott College
• American University
• Arcadia University
• Boston University
• Butler University
• Carleton College
• Centre College
• Dartmouth College
• Duke University
• Elon University
• Georgetown University
• Harvard University
• Indiana University – Bloomington
• Michigan State University
• New York University
• Northeastern University
• Texas A&M University
• University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
• Yale University

1. Abilene Christian University

A private Christian institution located in Texas, Abilene Christian University offers ACU and resident faculty-led study abroad programs at various locations on the planet, chosen for their deep cultural heritage and safe and immersive environment.

The said locations are:

• Germany
• Uruguay
• UK

Application fees to ACU’s study abroad program cost $50.

There are also summer programs available for those who wish to gain experience studying abroad, which are suitable options for undergraduate students who cannot find a way to study elsewhere for a full semester.

2. Agnes Scott College

Ranked #63 in National Liberal Arts Colleges and #9 in Study Abroad by US News, Agnes Scott College encourages its attendees to engage with the rest of the planet and gain a global perspective through its study abroad programs.

So much so that, to date, around 46% of its student body has studied outside the US.

Agnes Scott, which is a private women’s liberal arts institution located in Decatur, Georgia, offers Global Study Tours, programs led by its very own faculty members.

The school also has the following independent study abroad programs run by affiliated institutions:

• Summer independent programs
• Semester-long independent programs
• Year-long independent programs

3. American University

Founded in 1893 and popular for majors such as business administration and international relations and affairs, American University currently offers 110 study-abroad programs at numerous partner institutions across the globe.

Some of the countries where AU’s undergraduate students may fly to pursue studies abroad are:

• Armenia
• Brazil
• Chile
• Denmark
• Ecuador
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Kazakhstan
• Mexico
• Spain
• Sweden

AU also offers what’s referred to as Alternate Break study abroad programs where students obtain foreign experience during school vacations to establish their place in the global community through academic inquiry, leadership and service.

4. Arcadia University

According to Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania, its study abroad programs are designed to foster the academic passions of its undergraduate students and inspire their personal goals and global visions.

Some of the disciplines that Arcadia’s students may major in include:

• Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Art History
• Criminology & Criminal Justice
• Cultural Anthropology
• History
• International Business & Culture
• Politics, Government & Law
• Public Health
• Sociology
• Sport Management 

Countries where AU undergraduates can fly to study include:

• Australia
• Costa Rica
• Guatemala
• England
• Ireland
• Italy
• Mexico
• Namibia
• New Zealand
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Spain

5. Boston University

Study abroad programs at Boston University are available in fall and spring semesters. Some semester programs may be combined into a full academic year, too.

BU students studying abroad still take courses in their chosen fields of study and, at the same time, concentrate on language acquisition and studying the country they are in.

Undergraduates also have the opportunity for internship programs in various countries, including:

• Australia
• Chile
• Denmark
• Ecuador
• Germany
• Ireland
• Japan
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Taiwan

6. Butler University

Located in Indianapolis, Indiana and founded in 1855, Butler University offers more than 300 study-abroad programs in over 50 countries across the globe to meet the unique and diverse academic pursuits of its students.

Interested students must work with the Center for Global Education (CGE), preferably during their freshman year.

Undergraduates may apply to participate in a study abroad program as early as the summer of their sophomore year and, if permitted by the department, as late as their senior year.

Students may choose to study abroad for:

• A semester
• An academic year
• A summer term

Many of the short-term and long-term study abroad programs offered by Butler are faculty-led, and some of the rest are created by certain organizations specifically for college students from the US.

7. Carleton College

Carleton College says approximately 70% of its student body studies abroad.

Fret not about the cost of attending a foreign university and residing in a faraway land — financial aid transfers to Carleton’s study abroad programs!

Of the various study abroad programs available, 18 are Carleton faculty-led, while the rest are designed and sponsored by various organizations as well as partner colleges and universities located in various countries.

China study abroad programs, for instance, include the following:

• Alliance for Global Education
• Associated Colleges in China
• CET Study Abroad in China
• Inter-University Program for Chinese Language Studies (IUP)
• Middlebury Schools in China
• Princeton in Beijing

8. Centre College

A private liberal arts college located in Danville, Kentucky, Centre College offers study abroad programs where its attendees can choose from 12 countries spanning five continents.

There are also internship programs and educational excursions available.

Every year, around 25 Center faculty members fly with students to teach their subjects in another cultural environment. They also live on-site with the Centre’s undergraduates studying outside the US.

Also being offered are fly-away programs, which are short-term domestic study options.

9. Dartmouth College

One of the Ivy League schools, Dartmouth College, says that study abroad programs are integral extensions of its curriculum, designed to allow its undergraduate students to study other cultures and foreign disciplines in-depth and from a contextual perspective.

Some of Dartmouth’s study abroad programs focus on language fluency coupled with complete cultural immersion — students study languages right where they are spoken as everyone’s mother tongue.

The said programs fly students to various parts of the planet, and some of them include:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• China
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• Spain

10. Duke University

Duke University offers both university-led study abroad programs as well as Duke-approved programs that are sponsored by foreign academic institutions.

The prestigious institution also offers direct enrollment study programs where its undergraduates are admitted to host schools as international students for an entire semester or academic year or only during the summer term.

Those who take this educational path attend as though they are degree-seeking students.

Some of the countries Duke’s study abroad program students fly to include:

• Australia
• Egypt
• Hungary
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Spain
• UK

11. Elon University

Any global activity, including study abroad programs, is administered by the Global Education Center (GEC) of Elon University, ranked #4 in Study Abroad by US News.

Some of the study abroad programs are the so-called Elon Center programs, where students study abroad with the support of Elon faculty members on site.

Although partner institutions administer these programs, they are customized to fit the specific needs of undergraduates.

As of this writing, there are three Elon Centers abroad:

• Italy
• London
• New Zealand

Also available are study abroad programs for dual-degree students, where they spend the first two years of college at Elon and the last two years studying and working outside the US.

12. Georgetown University

Georgetown University has what’s known as The Office of Global Education (OGE), tasked with developing and facilitating academic programs abroad, including study abroad and exchange programs.

The selective institution offers two types of study abroad programs:

• Georgetown-affiliated programs
• Georgetown-administered programs

Under the Georgetown-administered programs, students get to study at Georgetown University in Doha, Qatar, where they join an international community for one semester or during a summer term.

13. Harvard University

The Ivy League, #16 in Study Abroad by US News, allows its undergraduates to study abroad for an entire semester or academic year or during the summer term.

In any case, Harvard University takes pride in providing its students abroad with exceptional support.

More than 50% of its undergraduates partake in an international experience during their stint at the selective institution — freshman students, though, are not eligible to participate in study abroad programs.

It’s also important to be in good academic and disciplinary standing to be eligible to apply.

What’s so nice about studying abroad as a Harvard student is that those who are receiving institutional financial assistance can transfer their aid to an approved study abroad program.

14. Indiana University – Bloomington

Indiana University – Bloomington offers over 380 study abroad programs in over 70 countries and 20 languages.

Undergraduate students given the opportunity to study elsewhere on the planet can study outside of the US for just a few days or for an entire academic year.

IU Bloomington says that around 1 in every 3 graduating senior students has participated in one of its various study abroad programs.

Other than IU Bloomington programs abroad, students may also opt for non-IU Bloomington programs.

The said programs allow them to study abroad through:

• An independent study-abroad provider
• An institution in the desired country of study
• Another US institution

15. Michigan State University

Michigan State University has over 275 study abroad programs, each allowing the public research university’s undergraduate students to earn credit.

Many program types are available for students who wish to gain international experience.

For instance, they can opt for a faculty-directed program where they travel abroad with an MSU faculty member.

They may also decide to participate in MSU’s direct enroll and exchange programs where they get to attend partner institutions and enjoy complete cultural immersion as the staff members of their host institutions are the ones who will be with them each time.

MSU undergraduates may also choose to study abroad for an entire semester or a full academic year, although they may also take advantage of a short-term program where they can study internationally during a school break.

16. New York University

According to New York University, more students attending it study abroad than students from other American institutions.

It adds that because it believes that studying abroad contributes to one’s education and personal development.

Here are some of the countries where NYU sends its students to study abroad:

• Argentina
• Australia
• China
• Czech Republic
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Israel
• Italy
• Spain
• UAE
• UK

17. Northeastern University

Northeastern University is one of the most highly selective schools in the US. It’s also selective when it comes to sending its undergraduates abroad to study — interested students must meet stringent eligibility requirements.

Those who are successfully admitted to NU’s study abroad programs may choose to study outside the US for one entire semester or for one full academic year, although they also have the option to study elsewhere during the summer break only.

NU study abroad students can fly to more than 70 countries, and some examples of those are:

• Australia
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Cambodia
• Costa Rica
• Demark
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• Norway
• Panama
• Peru
• Switzerland
• Taiwan
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan

18. Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University is committed to providing access to high-impact international opportunities for its undergraduate students.

So much so that, according to the TAMU itself, more than 5,000 students each year participate in some form of study abroad program.

Here are some programs available for undergraduates who are interested in studying abroad:

• Affiliate programs
• Exchange programs
• Faculty-led programs
• Field trip programs
• Internship programs
• Research and conferences
• Volunteer programs

One of the nicest things about TAMU is that it also offers programs designed for students who like to grab international learning opportunities without leaving the US.

Some examples of the said programs include:

• Center for International Business Studies
• Halliburton Engineering Global Programs
• Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture
• Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs

19. University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor offers undergraduates studying engineering the opportunity to study outside the US, where they can concentrate on their areas of discipline while experiencing new places and cultures.

Unlike most other study abroad programs from other institutions, however, the ones available at UMich Ann Arbor are short-term, which means its students can attend international schools only during summer or winter breaks.

As of this writing, there are more than 30 study abroad programs for engineering majors in countries such as:

• Australia
• China
• Czech Republic
• France
• Iceland
• Japan
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• South Africa
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• UK

20. Yale University

Yale University offers study abroad programs that last for a single term or an entire academic year.

They also come in several structures, including direct enrollment and hybrid, where students would take classes at the host university and in a study center.

Undergraduates are eligible to apply for any of the Ivy League study abroad programs during the summer after the first, second, and third year, the second semester of the sophomore year, and the first or second semester of the junior year.

Some of the countries where Yale’s study abroad programs send its undergraduate students include:

• Argentina
• Armenia
• Barbados
• Canada
• Chile
• Costa Rica
• Dominican Republic
• France
• Germany
• Ghana
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Italy
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• New Zealand
• Norway
• South Africa
• Taiwan
• Tanzania
• Turks and Caicos