UW-Madison students like to study abroad, a recent report shows.
In fact, the university ranked number one among U.S. public institutions for semester-long study abroad program participation, as well as number 14 among all universities and colleges in the U.S. for the total number of students studying overseas, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report.
According to a survey from the UW International Academic Programs, 2,244 students participated in a study abroad program in 2015-2016 — a 4 percent increase from the previous academic year. A majority of the students studied in either a semester- or year-long program.
Daniel Gold, the Director of UW’s International Academic Programs, said that IAP has worked to make “study abroad as accessible as possible” for students on campus. He said the study abroad office has made efforts to offer more scholarships and new programs of various durations to increase the number of students studying overseas.
Gold said he hopes the IAP continues to grow in the future by working with departments to ensure that the credits students receive overseas are relevant to their majors.
In addition to ranking No. 14 in the total number of students studying overseas, the Open Doors Report also ranked UW-Madison No. 6 for long-term study abroad participation among all U.S. institutions.
“[The rankings] show the commitment of faculty and departments on [informing] students of how important a long-term [study abroad] experience is,” Gold said.
Additionally, Gold said that the high number of students participating in
“Being [abroad] for even a semester or a year [offers] students a connection with a place and the ability to navigate difference,” Gold said. “The things you can learn both about yourself and a culture in a year are pretty amazing.”
