With a growing recognition of the importance of international experience, U.S. students are heading abroad in record numbers. The number of American students studying abroad for academic credit increased by 9.6% in 2003/04, building on the previous year's 8.5% increase. This surge in interest brings the total number of U.S. students abroad to a record 191,321, according to Open Doors 2005, the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education with funding from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. (See opendoors.iienetwork.org for additional statistics and analysis from Open Doors 2005).

Although U.S. study abroad has been steadily increasing over the past few decades, the 9.6% increase reported for 2003/04 is the latest evidence of the greater importance of a study abroad experience in the post-9/11 world. Since the academic year 2000/01, the number of U.S. students studying abroad has gone up by almost 20%. In 2003/04, 61% of all U.S. students abroad studied in Europe. However, there were significant increases in the number of students going to other host countries, including several nations in which English is not the primary language.

"I am pleased that American students are studying abroad, which signals their keen interest in learning more about the people and nations beyond our borders," said Dina Habib Powell, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs. "Department of State initiatives such as the Fulbright Program and Gilman Scholarship Program are at the forefront in helping American study abroad participants obtain the skills and experience they need for leadership and responsible action in our interdependent world."

According to IIE President Allan E. Goodman, "Many U.S. campuses now include international education as part of their core educational mission, recognizing that increasing the global competence among the next generation is a national priority and an academic responsibility. To encourage more U.S. students to strengthen their language and intercultural skills, as well as their ability to collaborate across borders, business leaders need to demonstrate the economic value of study abroad by rewarding international experience in their hiring and advancement practices."

The United Kingdom continues to be the leading destination for U.S. students (32,237, up 2%) followed by Italy, with a very strong increase of 16%, to 21,922. The remaining "top ten" host destinations saw increases in the range of 5 to 7%: Spain (20,080, up 6%), France (13,718, up 5%), Australia (11,418, up 7%), Mexico (9,293, up 6%), Germany (5,985, up 7%), Ireland (5,198, up 6%) and Costa Rica (4,510, up 5%), with the exception of China's 90% increase.