News

St. Olaf College | News

St. Olaf ranks No. 1 in study abroad for eighth straight year

studyabroadhannahhartz485x300
“I was able to spend five months traveling and studying things like Egyptian history and the religions of India,” says Hannah Hartz ’17, who participated in St. Olaf College’s Global Semester. “It led to a tremendous amount of self-growth and impacted the ways in which I view the world and its citizens.”

St. Olaf College sent more students to study abroad during the 2014–15 academic year than any other baccalaureate institution in the nation, according to the Open Doors 2016 Report on International Educational Exchange.

This marks the eighth straight year the college has ranked first among its peers in the total number of students studying abroad.

“St. Olaf is delighted to once again top the list of baccalaureate institutions for the number of students studying abroad,” says Director of International and Off-Campus Studies Jodi Malmgren ’92. “Our strategic plan highlights participation in high-impact practices such as study abroad and fostering a global perspective. Even more importantly, our focus goes beyond sheer participation numbers to ensuring all members of the St. Olaf student body have access to high-quality learning opportunities.”

St. Olaf currently offers study abroad programs in nearly 50 countries, including about 65 semester or year-long programs and 25 courses during Interim. Faculty-led semester programs include Global Semester and Environmental Science in Australia.

According to the Open Doors report, St. Olaf also ranked first in short-term study abroad numbers for baccalaureate institutions.

Open Doors is the comprehensive information resource on international students in the United States and on the more than 200,000 U.S. students who study abroad as part of their academic experience. The Institute of International Education publishes the Open Doors report annually with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.