<p>Hey! Which colleges have the best study abroad programs? I really want to explore other countries and I was wondering which colleges were the best for that. Like which colleges offer a large range of different places to study at and etc. Thanks!!</p>
<p>Most LAC’s offer study abroad.</p>
<p>St. Olaf in Minnesota has a lot of great study abroad programs. Most often their own faculty go with the students, and some of the programs visit five or six countries over a semester, others are for their January term.</p>
<p>Macalester in Minnesota emphasizes internationalism and definitely offers study abroad.</p>
<p>Willamette in Oregon also seems to really emphasize study abroad and is a great school.</p>
<p>You can get more details on their websites.</p>
<p>Nowadays, virtually all the good schools have a wide variety of study abroad options. Find a school you like, and chances are it will have good study abroad options.</p>
<p>What about the ones in California, Arizona, or Florida?</p>
<p>Cal Lu in California offers a study abroad at: OXFORD !!!</p>
<p>Dancebaby…assume that all colleges offer study abroad. We’d have to list hundreds of schools that have study abroad.</p>
<p>Frankly, the more mediocre the school the more it promote its study abroad programs. It is one of the most profitable deals for any college: send a large number of students to an exotic location and still charge them regular tuition at a fraction of the cost of keeping them on campus. </p>
<p>The very best colleges hardly promote their programs because few student want to leave. MIT for instance is the only university in the US with a full year exchange program with Cambridge University in the UK, but very few students are interested in leaving the campus.</p>
<p>Almost every college has significant study abroad programs. If you’re hoping to go on more than one, that’s a different question. Colleges on the quarter system tend to accommodate multiple study abroad programs best.</p>
<p>“Frankly, the more mediocre the school the more it promote its study abroad programs.”</p>
<p>Total nonsense. All the top schools have extensive study abroad options and a great many students who take advantage of it - especially those in the humanities and social sciences, where study abroad often fits right into whatever they are majoring in. </p>
<p>How the schools handle the financial aspect varies widely. There are always additional admin costs associated with managing study abroad programs and transferring the credits. Many offer the option of allowing you to study abroad at a program that you identify, if it’s not duplicating something they already offer and it’s of sufficient academic rigor.</p>
<p>Over 70% of Austin College students do some kind of study abroad, either in the three-week Jan Term or during a full semester, or both. This past January there were 12 different overseas programs to choose from, including Spain, France, China, East Africa, Japan, Guatemala, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Scotland. Here’s a description of the most recent travel courses: <a href=“http://cgl.austincollege.edu/files/2011/04/Travel-Course-Descriptions-JanTerm-20123.pdf[/url]”>http://cgl.austincollege.edu/files/2011/04/Travel-Course-Descriptions-JanTerm-20123.pdf</a></p>
<p>I think that almost any school has good study abroad programs and almost every school allows you to go on a program no associated with your school as long as you get it approved (although going on programs not run by your school may impact financial aid). That said, the best I saw was Dickinson College in PA which really emphasizes getting a global education and has tons of different study abroad programs for different lengths of time.</p>
<p>The Institute for International Education has something called the Open Doors report that provides data on study abroad. It’s worth a look:
[Open</a> Doors | Institute of International Education](<a href=“http://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors]Open”>Open Doors | IIE - The Power of International Education)</p>
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<p>I think the difference was not that better universities have worse programs; it’s that they emphasize them less in their promotional materials.</p>
<p>I’ve heard pretty good things about Lewis and Clark, but I have no idea what level of selectivity you’re looking at for colleges.</p>
<p>Agree with above. Relatively few Yale, Harvard, Princeton students do study abroad. They chose their school for the Yale, Harvard, Princeton experience, and don’t want to miss out on the wealth of opportunities those schools offer right on campus. Instead, they take part in all kinds of summer abroad programs or get grants to do study abroad after graduation.</p>
<p>I would also discourage choosing a school based on its study abroad programs. That’s among the lesser criteria to look into since most schools have opportunities to study overseas, whether through their own programs, or through other schools’.</p>
<p>“About 60 percent of Harvard students integrate international experience into their undergraduate careers. Harvard’s flexible study abroad program accommodates students’ varied academic interests and plans. Harvard students travel all over the world, with the benefit of our exceptional networks and advising resources”</p>
<p>Straight from Harvard’s web site. Sounds to me like more than ‘a few’ Harvard students are studying abroad. I’d be surprised if the percentages were very different for Yale or Princeton or any of the other top schools.</p>
<p>I think you can find study abroad options at many schools, but you should also find out about costs. Some schools will apply financial aid and scholarships for study abroad, and others will not. You need to specifically ask about this - many schools don’t tell you on their websites etc.
If a school does not, it can be an advantage, if you arrange an abroad experience on your own and save on the cost. It may be possible to then continue your aid at your home-school, while giving yourself a cushion. (since aid/scholarship may only be for 8 semesters.)</p>
<p>Georgetown, Tufts, and Goucher. You should check out the princeton review–they have info on this. And it might be a good starting point.</p>
<p>M’s Mom, I thought my post made it clear that Harvard (et al) offers the “international experience” as the website quote you showed. </p>
<p>It’s just not the usual semester/year of study abroad. Most of the time, they’re summer/post-grad experiences which allow students to spend the maximum amount of time on their own campus. </p>
<p>BTW, a few years ago, DH was a finalist for a higher-level administrative position in a study abroad office at one of the Ivies. The previous director told him “don’t expect crowds. This school makes it clear to its students that no other university in the world is up to its own exalted standards.” This is a real quote from a real Ivy administrator. And it was made only partly in jest.</p>
<p>No. 1 for Study Aboard</p>
<p>See: [Expand</a> your Horizons. No. 1 for study abroad. | Michigan State University](<a href=“http://www.msu.edu/stories/international.html]Expand”>http://www.msu.edu/stories/international.html)</p>
<p>Many colleges which are Mennonite in origin have fantastic study abroad programs. The Mennonite religion emphasizes peacemaking and pacifism, and frequently has a “peace studies” program rather than a standard IR program. A few years ago, I looked at some of these schools and was extremely impressed by the offerings at Goshen College, which is on the East Coast. </p>
<p>Mennonite schools in general tend to have a real focus on globalization and service to one’s larger world community, and frequently have large numbers of students who study abroad in many different capacities. (Goshen in particular seems to have a focus on global service learning, offering opportunities for students to go abroad and to study concepts like the global economy, global health, etc. Their undergrad programs actually reminded me of the best grad programs in many fields).</p>
<p>We were also really impressed by the new Public Health program at George Washington University, which offers undergrads an opportunity to spend a semester or year abroad studying global public health.</p>