StudyAbroad.com Survey Reveals Student Motivations and Concerns When Pursuing a Study Abroad Program

Recent research shows cultural experiences, the opportunity to live abroad and the ability to travel are very important to college students when it comes to potentially studying abroad. These motivators, along with other findings, were revealed in a February 2012 survey of college-aged students across the U.S. conducted by StudyAbroad.com,the Internet’s leading resource for information on study abroad programs.

The survey, which was completed by 380 students who visited StudyAbroad.com, took note of the factors students find important as they consider selecting a study abroadprogram, what motivates him or her to do so and what might prohibit him or her from realizing a study abroad experience.

Twenty percent of survey respondents cited a study abroad program’s reputation for a vibrant social and party life as an “important” factor in the selection process. Just over one-third (35.8 percent) consider it at least “somewhat important.” When surveyed about how important a lower drinking age is when evaluating what study abroad program to select, one in five respondents felt it was at least “somewhat important” (nearly 10 percent (9.3) indicated it was “important,” 11.8 percent indicated it was “somewhat important”).

In addition, when asked, “What is your motivation for pursuing a study abroad experience?” and given a selection of reasons, respondents indicated the following were “very important”:

§  Cultural (63.1 percent)

§  Live Abroad (58.5 percent)

§  Travel-Related (51.6 percent)

§  Academic (45.3 percent)

§  Professional/Resume Booster (45.3 percent)

More than half (53.1 percent) indicated social reasons were “important,” with nearly 30 percent saying they were “very important” (27.2 percent).

The survey also asked students to identify the factor that has the biggest impact on their ability to make a study abroad experience a reality. Nearly 70 percent of respondents indicated it is money; 50 percent of those who indicated that money was the biggest obstacle said they’ll only be able to study abroad if they figure out how to pay for it, one-third are afraid they won’t be able to afford it.

Additionally, the survey asked respondents about graduate study abroadas well. For those considering graduate school in the future, more than one-third of respondents (34.2 percent) indicated it was very likely they would pursue their graduate degree abroad instead of in the U.S.; 10.8 percent said they are planning on earning their master’s degree abroad.

StudyAbroad.com is a web resource of EducationDynamics, which offers information on more than 12,000 study abroad programs. For more information about study abroad opportunities visit www.studyabroad.com.