298,180 US students earned academic credit abroad in 2023/24, a 6.2% rise, yet only 7,031 of them (2.4%) stayed for a full academic or calendar year (Institute of International Education, Open Doors 2025). Most American “immersion” now happens in summer sessions and programs of eight weeks or less, and it overwhelmingly happens in Europe, which hosts 64.1% of US students abroad. At home, the classroom pipeline that feeds immersion is thinning: enrollments in languages other than English at US colleges fell 16.6% between fall 2016 and fall 2021, the steepest drop the Modern Language Association has recorded since its census began in 1958. Against that, demand from the other direction holds up, with 66,033 international students attending US intensive English programs in 2025. For the app and consumer side of the same story, see our language learning statistics. We aggregated data from IIE Open Doors, the Modern Language Association, NAFSA, Eurostat, the European Commission, the Fulbright Program, the Gilman Scholarship Program and the other primary sources listed in the methodology.
TL;DR
- 298,180 US students studied abroad for credit in 2023/24, up 6.2% (IIE, Open Doors 2025).
- Only 2.4% of US students abroad stayed a full academic or calendar year (IIE, Open Doors 2025).
- 62.2% went on short-term programs: 39.4% summer plus 22.8% for eight weeks or less (IIE, Open Doors 2025).
- Italy hosted 45,067 US students, 15.1% of the total (IIE, Open Doors 2025).
- 10.0% of US associate and bachelor’s graduates studied abroad during their degree (IIE, Open Doors 2025).
- White students were 65.2% of US study abroad participants vs 44.4% of college enrollment (NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES).
- US college language enrollments fell 16.6% to 1,182,562 between 2016 and 2021 (MLA, Fall 2021 census).
- Korean enrollments rose 38.3% while German fell 33.6% (MLA, Fall 2021 census).
- Language course enrollments per 100 college students hit a record low of 6.5 (MLA, Fall 2021 census).
- The Gilman Scholarship now awards more than 3,100 scholarships a year, about half to first-generation students (Gilman Scholarship Program).
- More than 16 million people have taken part in Erasmus+ (European Commission, 2025).
- 66,033 international students attended US intensive English programs in 2025, down 5% (IIE, Open Doors IEP release 2026).
1. US Study Abroad Volume: Back to Growth, Still a Minority Experience
The headline number is moving in the right direction, but the denominator tells the real story. IIE counts 267,488 US undergraduates who study abroad at some point during their degree, equal to 10.0% of the 2,680,718 students who earned associate or bachelor’s degrees in 2023/24 (IIE, Open Doors 2025 U.S. Study Abroad release). Nine in ten American graduates still finish college without any credit-bearing time overseas, and NAFSA frames the annual flow as roughly one percent of all enrolled US students.
What is changing is the format. Alongside the 298,180 credit-earning students, IIE tracks 33,078 who did non-credit work, internships, volunteering or research abroad (reported by 332 institutions) and 17,426 who took part in online global learning such as remote internships and videoconference projects (reported by 105 institutions). The program menu is widening faster than the core flow, which means “international experience” on a resume increasingly covers things that would not have counted as study abroad a decade ago.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US students abroad for academic credit, 2023/24 | 298,180 (+6.2%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| US students abroad for credit, 2022/23 | 280,716 | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| US undergraduates who study abroad during their degree | 267,488 (10.0% of degree recipients) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| US associate and bachelor’s degree recipients, 2023/24 | 2,680,718 | NCES via IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Non-credit experiential learning abroad | 33,078 students at 332 institutions | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Online global learning participants | 17,426 students at 105 institutions | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| US students pursuing full degrees abroad | More than 95,000 | IIE, Open Doors 2025 release |
| Annual study abroad as share of enrolled US students | About 1% | NAFSA, Trends in US Study Abroad |
Context note: Open Doors study abroad data always lag one year behind its international student data, so the November 2025 release describes 2023/24. The 10.0% participation rate compares a cumulative count of students who studied abroad during their degree with one year’s graduating cohort, which is IIE’s own method. The full-degree figure was stated on the IIE release page and is not in the Fast Facts tables.
2. Destinations: Southern Europe Dominates, Asia Gains Fastest
The map of American study abroad is remarkably concentrated. Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and France together host nearly 45% of all US students abroad, and Italy alone took 45,067 (15.1%) (IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts). Spain posted the biggest absolute gain among the leaders, adding 4,178 students (36,826 minus 32,648) to grow 12.8%, while France slipped 2.1%. For language immersion this matters: two of the top three destinations operate in English or have large English-medium program sectors, so a big share of US students abroad never need a second language at all.
The growth story is in Asia and smaller markets. Japan rose 15.9% to 11,217 students and became the fifth-largest destination, and Asia overall grew 15.2% to 30,361. IIE reports that seven destinations hit all-time highs (Denmark, Greece, Italy, Japan, Portugal, South Korea and Spain). The Middle East and North Africa moved the other way, falling 29.6% to 4,872 students, a reminder that safety perceptions shift flows faster than any curriculum change.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Italy | 45,067 (15.1%, +7.7%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Spain | 36,826 (12.4%, +12.8%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| United Kingdom | 36,450 (12.2%, +4.1%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| France | 16,740 (5.6%, -2.1%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Japan | 11,217 (3.8%, +15.9%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| South Korea / Greece | 6,184 (+4.7%) / 6,782 (+12.9%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Europe share of all US students abroad | 64.1% (191,209) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Middle East and North Africa | 4,872 (-29.6%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
Context note: NAFSA calculates that 48.5% of US students abroad went to just five countries (Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Germany). Latin America and the Caribbean hosted 10.5%, Oceania 3.3% and Sub-Saharan Africa 3.0%. Costa Rica (-7.4%) and Ecuador (-18.1%) fell while New Zealand (+27.2%) and Portugal (+22.3%) grew fastest among the top 25 (IIE, all destinations data).
3. Immersion Depth: The Summer Program Is the New Semester Abroad
Language acquisition research and program marketing both use the word “immersion”, but the duration data shows how thin most immersion now is. In 2023/24, 62.2% of US students abroad went on short-term programs (39.4% in the summer term plus 22.8% for eight weeks or less during the academic year), while only 2.4% stayed for a full academic or calendar year (IIE, Duration of Study Abroad). A summer program can build confidence and cultural familiarity; it rarely produces the kind of sustained daily exposure that moves a learner up a proficiency band.
The semester has held its ground better than the year. Mid-length programs (one or two quarters, or one semester) grew 11.9% in raw numbers, from 94,613 to 105,899, and now account for 35.5% of the total. Long-term stays grew too, from 6,635 to 7,031, but that is a rounding error next to the summer market. For universities, this is a cost and credit-transfer story: short programs fit inside four-year degree plans without delaying graduation.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Summer term programs | 117,373 (39.4%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Eight weeks or less during the academic year | 67,877 (22.8%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Mid-length (one or two quarters, or a semester) | 105,899 (35.5%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Long-term (academic or calendar year) | 7,031 (2.4%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Long-term stays, prior year | 6,635 | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Mid-length programs, prior year | 94,613 | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Average stay in US intensive English programs, 2025 | 11 weeks (about 6 for Europeans) | IIE, Open Doors IEP release 2026 |
Context note: the 62.2% short-term share and the 11.9% mid-length growth are our arithmetic from IIE’s published counts (22.8 + 39.4; 105,899 / 94,613). The comparison with inbound intensive English programs is instructive: international students coming to the US for English average 11 weeks, and those from Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East and North Africa average 16 to 17 weeks, longer than most US students spend abroad.
4. Who Goes and What They Study
Study abroad remains one of the least representative experiences in American higher education. White students made up 65.2% of US study abroad participants in 2023/24 but only 44.4% of postsecondary enrollment, while Hispanic or Latino students were 12.2% of participants against 21.2% of enrollment (NAFSA, Trends in US Study Abroad). Black students were 6.1% of participants versus 12.8% of enrollment. Asian and Pacific Islander students are the one group over-represented, at 10.4% of participants versus 7.1% of enrollment. The gap has narrowed slightly (White students were 66.4% of participants a year earlier), but at this pace parity is decades away.
The field mix explains why so few programs are language-centered. Business and management students are the largest group at 21.7%, followed by social sciences at 17.8%, and engineering grew fastest among named fields at 12.3% (IIE, Fields of Study). Foreign language and international studies are folded into the 33.7% “other fields” bucket in the Fast Facts summary. Study abroad has become a general-education and career credential more than a language major’s rite of passage.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| White share of study abroad vs college enrollment | 65.2% vs 44.4% | NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES |
| Hispanic or Latino share | 12.2% vs 21.2% | NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES |
| Black or African American share | 6.1% vs 12.8% | NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES |
| Asian or Pacific Islander share | 10.4% vs 7.1% | NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES |
| Multiracial / American Indian or Alaska Native share | 5.7% / 0.4% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Business and management students | 64,627 (21.7%, +9.7%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Social sciences / physical and life sciences | 17.8% / 8.0% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
| Engineering students | 16,983 (5.7%, +12.3%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
Context note: IIE’s race and ethnicity percentages cover students whose institutions reported the data. Fine and applied arts (7.3%) and health professions (5.8%) round out the named fields.
5. College Language Enrollment: The Pipeline Behind Immersion
Most recent available data: Modern Language Association, Fall 2021 census (published 2023). Immersion abroad depends on students arriving with some language already, and that base is shrinking. US college enrollments in languages other than English fell 16.6%, from 1,418,584 in fall 2016 to 1,182,562 in fall 2021, the largest decline in the history of the MLA census, while total college enrollment fell only 8.0% (Modern Language Association, Enrollments in Languages Other Than English, Fall 2021). Enrollments are 29.3% below the 2009 peak of 1,673,566 and back at roughly 1998 levels, and the ratio of language enrollments to students hit 6.5 per 100, the lowest ever recorded and well below 16.5 in 1965.
The losses are uneven in a way that maps onto the destination data. European languages collapsed: German fell 33.6%, French 23.1%, Italian 20.4% and Spanish 18.0%, which pushed Spanish below half of all enrollments (49.4%) for the first time since 1990. Korean grew 38.3% to 19,270 and has not declined in any census since 1974, and 74.9% of introductory Korean programs held steady or grew. American Sign Language, now third behind Spanish and French with 107,899 enrollments, grew slightly; our sign language interpreting statistics cover where that demand leads professionally. Two-year colleges took the hardest hit, losing 24.2% of language enrollments versus 14.7% at four-year institutions, which narrows access for exactly the students least likely to study abroad.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total language enrollments, fall 2021 | 1,182,562 (-16.6% vs 2016) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Decline from 2009 peak | -29.3% (from 1,673,566) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Language enrollments per 100 college students | 6.5 (record low; 16.5 in 1965) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Spanish / French enrollments | 584,453 (-18.0%) / 135,088 (-23.1%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| German / Arabic enrollments | 53,543 (-33.6%) / 22,918 (-27.4%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Korean / ASL enrollments | 19,270 (+38.3%) / 107,899 (+0.8%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Language programs reporting enrollments | 10,773 (-961, -8.2%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Two-year vs four-year language enrollment change | -24.2% vs -14.7% | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
Context note: the program count is net institutions reporting a language, not closed departments; 172 fewer institutions reported German and 164 fewer reported French. Graduate language enrollments fell to 24,042, and PhDs granted in foreign languages and literature dropped 37.1% (599 to 377) between 2016 and 2021, per the Survey of Earned Doctorates cited by the MLA. The MLA’s last requirements survey found only 50.7% of institutions required a language for the bachelor’s degree in 2009-10, down from 67.5% in 1994-95. The K-12 side of this pipeline is tracked in our dual language immersion statistics.
6. Funded Exchange and Scholarship Programs
Public money still shapes who gets an extended immersion experience. The Gilman Scholarship, run by the US Department of State, now awards more than 3,100 scholarships a year, up from 300 in its first year (2001), and about half of recipients are first-generation college students (Gilman Scholarship Program, program statistics). More than 70% come from small towns or rural areas, and the program has received over 180,000 applications, so demand vastly outstrips awards. Its top destinations (Japan, Spain, South Korea, the United Kingdom and Italy) lean further toward Asia than the overall study abroad market.
The flagship programs operate at a different scale. The Fulbright Program, founded in 1946, offers about 9,000 merit-based awards a year across more than 160 countries, counts more than 400,000 alumni and more than 60 Nobel laureates, and is funded primarily by an annual congressional appropriation. In Europe, the European Commission reports that more than 16 million people have benefited from Erasmus+, whose 2021-2027 budget of an estimated 26.2 billion euros is nearly double its predecessor’s. Federal language funding has not kept pace: the MLA notes HEA Title VI funding peaked at 110.31 million dollars in 2010 and fell to 68.26 million the following year, with a 0.684 correlation between that funding and language enrollments.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Gilman scholarships awarded per year | More than 3,100 (300 in 2001) | Gilman Scholarship Program |
| Gilman alumni since 2001 / applications received | 50,000 / 180,000+ | Gilman Scholarship Program |
| Gilman recipients who are first-generation / from small towns or rural areas | About 50% / 70%+ | Gilman Scholarship Program |
| Fulbright awards per year / partner countries | About 9,000 / 160+ | Fulbright Program |
| Fulbright alumni / Nobel laureates | 400,000+ / 60+ | Fulbright Program |
| Critical Language Scholarship languages listed | 9 (including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Persian, Swahili) | Critical Language Scholarship Program |
| Erasmus+ participants since 1987 | More than 16 million | European Commission, Erasmus+ statistics, 2025 |
| Erasmus+ 2021-2027 budget | About 26.2 billion euros (nearly double 2014-2020) | European Commission, What is Erasmus+ |
Context note: the Critical Language Scholarship page lists Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Russian and Swahili; the language list changes by year. Erasmus+ participant counts include staff, youth and training mobility, not only university students (Erasmus+ programme overview).
7. Europe and Inbound Immersion: The Flows Into the US and EU
The rest of the world runs a much larger mobility system than the US outbound market. Eurostat counts 1.83 million tertiary students from abroad studying in the EU in 2024, with Germany alone hosting 438,300 (24% of the EU total) (Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics). The EU also produced about 418,400 credit-mobile graduates in 2024, students who spent part of their degree abroad, led by France (186,500). The United States is the third most common destination for those EU credit-mobile graduates at 6.5%, behind Spain (11.1%) and the United Kingdom (9.1%), and 64.7% of bachelor-level credit-mobile graduates went through EU programmes.
Inbound language immersion into the US is a smaller, more volatile market. IIE’s intensive English program release counted 66,033 students in 325 programs in 2025, a 5% drop after three years of growth, totaling 709,705 student-weeks. Japan sent the most (more than 8,000, 13%), followed by France and Italy, and New York and California each hosted more than 10,000. NAFSA values English language program students at 392.3 million dollars and 2,778 jobs, inside a 42.9 billion dollar total contribution from all international students in 2024/25. Our international students statistics cover the degree-seeking side of that inbound flow in depth.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tertiary students from abroad in the EU, 2024 | 1.83 million | Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics |
| Germany / France / Netherlands hosted | 438,300 / 284,900 / 176,500 | Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics |
| EU credit-mobile graduates, 2024 | About 418,400 | Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics |
| US share of EU credit-mobile graduates’ destinations | 6.5% (Spain 11.1%, UK 9.1%) | Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics |
| US intensive English program students, 2025 | 66,033 (-5%) in 325 programs | IIE, Open Doors IEP release 2026 |
| IEP student-weeks / top origin | 709,705 / Japan, 8,000+ (13%) | IIE, Open Doors IEP release 2026 |
| Economic value of US English language program students | 392.3 million dollars, 2,778 jobs | NAFSA Economic Value Tool, 2024/25 |
| International students in the US, 2024/25 | 1,177,766 (+4.5%; new students 277,118, -7.2%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts |
Context note: Eurostat’s “students from abroad” is a degree-mobility measure, while credit-mobile graduates are counted at graduation, so the two figures describe different populations. Students from Europe made up 43% of the EU’s students from abroad, Asia 26% and Africa 17%. Learners who cannot travel at all increasingly practice through conversation platforms, tracked in our language exchange apps statistics.
Summary: Study Abroad & Language Immersion by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US students abroad for credit, 2023/24 | 298,180 (+6.2%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| US degree recipients who studied abroad | 10.0% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Short-term share (summer plus 8 weeks or less) | 62.2% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Full-year stays | 2.4% (7,031 students) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Europe share of US students abroad | 64.1% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Top destination | Italy, 45,067 (15.1%) | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| Fastest-growing large destination | Japan, +15.9% to 11,217 | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| White share of participants vs enrollment | 65.2% vs 44.4% | NAFSA, citing IIE and NCES |
| Business majors’ share of US students abroad | 21.7% | IIE, Open Doors 2025 |
| US college language enrollments, fall 2021 | 1,182,562 (-16.6%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Language enrollments per 100 college students | 6.5 (record low) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| German enrollment change, 2016 to 2021 | -33.6% | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Korean enrollment change, 2016 to 2021 | +38.3% | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Net language programs lost, 2016 to 2021 | 961 (-8.2%) | MLA, Fall 2021 census |
| Gilman scholarships per year | More than 3,100 | Gilman Scholarship Program |
| Fulbright awards per year | About 9,000 | Fulbright Program |
| Erasmus+ participants to date | More than 16 million | European Commission, 2025 |
| Tertiary students from abroad in the EU | 1.83 million (2024) | Eurostat |
| US intensive English program students | 66,033 (2025, -5%) | IIE, Open Doors IEP release 2026 |
Methodology and Sources
Every figure above was read during research for this article from the primary document or the publishing organization’s own page. US study abroad figures come from the IIE Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts PDF rather than secondary summaries, and the MLA figures come from the full Fall 2021 census report. Statistics that circulate on study abroad agency and listicle sites without a primary document were excluded.
- Institute of International Education: Open Doors 2025 U.S. Study Abroad release, Open Doors 2025 Fast Facts (PDF), All destinations data, Duration of study abroad, Fields of study, Intensive English programs release (May 2026), International students release
- Modern Language Association: Enrollments in Languages Other Than English in US Institutions of Higher Education, Fall 2021 (2023)
- NAFSA: Trends in US Study Abroad, International Student Economic Value Tool
- US Department of State programs: Gilman Scholarship program statistics, Fulbright Program, About, Critical Language Scholarship, About
- European Commission and Eurostat: Erasmus+ statistics and factsheets, What is Erasmus+, Eurostat, Learning mobility statistics
- Data watch: The MLA Fall 2021 census is the most recent published language enrollment census and is more than three years old; the MLA runs it roughly every four to five years, so post-pandemic recovery (or further decline) is not yet visible in these numbers. Open Doors study abroad data describe 2023/24, one year behind the international student data (2024/25). IIE says Italy, Spain, the UK and France hold “nearly 45%” of US students abroad, while NAFSA’s five-country figure (adding Germany) is 48.5%; both are consistent with the Fast Facts table. The participation rate reaches 10.0% of degree recipients on IIE’s cumulative measure but about 1% of all enrolled students on NAFSA’s annual measure; they answer different questions. The Erasmus+ annual report and the IIE Fall and Spring Snapshot pages could not be reached (404 or 403 errors), so Erasmus+ figures come from the Commission’s statistics and programme pages, and pre-pandemic study abroad peaks shown only in IIE charts were not quoted. OECD Education at a Glance and UNESCO UIS mobility pages blocked automated access, so no global mobility total is cited. The full-degree-abroad figure (more than 95,000) appears on IIE’s release page but not in the Fast Facts tables.
Last updated: October 3, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next refresh is expected when IIE publishes Open Doors 2026 in November 2026 with 2024/25 US study abroad data.