St. Olaf ranks No. 2 nationally in study abroad
According to the 2025 Open Doors Report, St. Olaf College ranks No. 2 among baccalaureate colleges across the country in the students who studied abroad during the 2023–24 academic year. Students from St. Olaf have the opportunity to receive academic credit abroad in more than 40 countries.
“I am thrilled to see St. Olaf landing at No. 2 of the top baccalaureate institutions in the number of students studying abroad,” says Smith Center for Global Engagement Director Theresa Heath. “It is really a testament to the environment St. Olaf College has nurtured to make study abroad an important and attainable component of the St. Olaf experience.”
For the 2024–25 academic year, 621 students studied abroad in dozens of destinations, including Denmark, New Zealand, South Korea, and Ireland. Through faculty-led semester programs, like Global Semester, and a wide range of January and summer term programs, St. Olaf students have the unique opportunity to study in another country. This reality was reflected with 70 percent of the Class of 2025 participating in at least one study abroad/away program during their time at the college.
“It is really a testament to the environment St. Olaf College has nurtured to make study abroad an important and attainable component of the St. Olaf experience.”
— Smith Center for Global Engagement Director Theresa Heath
St. Olaf students join more than 200,000 U.S. students studying overseas for academic credit. In Minnesota, St. Olaf is the top undergraduate-only institution and ranked third overall among private and public colleges and universities in the state.
Heath adds, “Faculty and staff work hard to encourage students to find the best fit for their academic and vocational goals. This begins with program and partnership development, advising and mentorship, and strong financial assistance. Our students are eager to develop meaningful global perspectives and connect that learning to their lives on the Hill and beyond.”
Students can work with the Smith Center for Global Engagement to find a program that fits their interests, and the college provides robust financial support to ensure all Oles have the opportunity to study abroad/away. Starting this academic year, students with a family income below $300,000 can participate in the full range of Smith Center–approved semester and academic year study abroad/away programs for the same cost as studying on campus.
“The work of our staff at the Smith Center and our study abroad pilot scholarship illustrates the college’s commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn in another country,” says St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer. “As supported by our strategic plan, the ability to experience the culture and academic experience abroad is essential for our students to explore their vocational discernment in our local and global communities.”
Open Doors is the most comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars in the United States and on U.S. students studying abroad for academic credit. The 2025 Open Doors Report for study abroad reflects U.S. citizens who study abroad. The Open Doors project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and supported in its implementation by the Institute of International Education.