More than half of respondents say a study abroad program’s reputation for a vibrant social and party life is at least a somewhat important factor in program selection; 20 percent indicated that a lower drinking age was also at least somewhat important.
Chester, PA, March 12, 2012 – 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 abroad program, 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 abroad as 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.
About StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is a web resource of EducationDynamics and the Internet’s leading source of information on educational opportunities for students to study in other countries. It is a comprehensive directory of study abroad and intensive language programs organized by subject and destination. Currently information on more than 12,000 study abroad programs is available and more than two million students visit StudyAbroad.com annually. StudyAbroad.com also offers Destination Portal Pages, a handbook serving as a guide to traveling abroad; Blog Abroad, a blog that chronicles the experiences of students as they study abroad; and financial aid information. To learn more, visit www.StudyAbroad.com.
About EducationDynamics
EducationDynamics is higher education’s leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including ChristianEducation.com, EarnMyDegree.com, EducationConnection.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, TestDriveCollege.com, TestDriveGradSchool.com and its special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition, as well as other innovative solutions including LeadWatchLive, its Web-based inquiry management system. Through Aslanian Market Research, the company brings decades of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence and best practice insights to clients. For more information, visit www.educationdynamics.com.
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