The 20 most popular study abroad countries for US students
Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
Every semester, college students pack their bags and jet off to foreign countries to study abroad. The experience allows them to learn things they wouldn’t be able to learn in their college classrooms.
The Institute of International Education, a not-for-profit organization that researches the movement of international students, found that 304,467 American students studied abroad during the 2013-2014 school year — the most recent data available.
The IIE’s “Open Doors Data” is compiled with the help of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. With this data, the IIE broke down the number of American studying in each country.
Business Insider used IIE’s research to find the top 20 countries and then researched the basics of what they need to know before moving there: official language, currency, and exchange rate (as of early August). We then looked to Lonely Planet for the cost of a typical low-budget meal, since studying abroad can get costly.
Europe is the continent of choice, with eight countries featured on the list. South America is in second place with five countries.
Read on to find out the 20 most popular countries where American students study abroad.
20. Chile
Number of students who study abroad: 3,333
Language: Spanish
Currency: Chilean peso (CH$)
Exchange rate: $0.0015 per peso
Average cost of a low-budget meal: CH$5000
19. Peru
Number of students who study abroad: 3,396
Language: Spanish (Quechua and Aymara are native languages used as well)
Currency: Peruvian sol (S), but many places accept American dollars
Exchange rate: $0.30 per sol
Average cost of a low-budget meal: S15 or less
18. Denmark
Number of students who study abroad: 3,545
Language: Danish
Currency: Danish krone
Exchange rate: $0.15 per krone
Average cost of a low-budget meal: under Dkr125
17. Czech Republic
Number of students who study abroad: 3,572
Language: Czech
Currency: Czech crown (Kč), but euros are accepted in some places
Exchange rate: $0.041 per crown
Average cost of a low-budget meal: Kč405
16. Ecuador
Number of students who study abroad: 3,699
Language: Spanish
Currency: US dollar
Exchange rate: No exchange needed
Average cost of a low-budget meal: $2.50-$3.50
15. Brazil
Number of students who study abroad: 4,226
Language: Portuguese
Currency: Brazilian real (R$)
Exchange rate: $0.32 per real
Average cost of a low-budget meal: R$14-20
14. Argentina
Number of students who study abroad: 4,301
Language: Spanish
Currency: Argentine peso (AR$)
Exchange rate: $0.07 per peso
13. Mexico
Number of students who study abroad: 4,445
Language: Spanish
Currency: Mexican peso (M$)
Exchange rate: $0.05 per peso
Average cost of a low-budget meal: M$60-80
12. India
Number of students who study abroad: 4,583
Language: Hindi and English
Currency: Rupee (₹)
Exchange rate: $0.01 per rupee
Average cost of a low-budget meal: ₹120-300
11. South Africa
Number of students who study abroad: 4,968
Language: 11 official languages including English, Afrikaans and Zulu
Currency: Rand (R)
Exchange rate: $0.07 per rand
Average cost of a low-budget meal: less than R75
10. Japan
Number of students who study abroad: 5,978
Language: Japanese
Currency: Yen (¥)
Exchange rate: $0.0098 per Yen
Average cost of a low-budget meal: ¥800
9. Australia
Number of students who study abroad: 8,369
Language: English
Currency: Australian dollar ($)
Exchange rate: $0.76 per Australian dollar
Average cost of a low-budget meal: $10-15
8. Costa Rica
Number of students who study abroad: 8,578
Language: Spanish
Currency: Colón; US dollars are accepted
Exchange rate: $0.0018 per colòn
Average cost of a low-budget meal: $3-5
7. Ireland
Number of students who study abroad: 8,823
Language: English
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate: $1.11 per euro
Average cost of a low-budget meal: €6-12
6. Germany
Number of students who study abroad: 10,377
Language: German
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate: $1.11 per euro
Average cost of a low-budget meal: €8
5. China
Number of students who study abroad: 13,763
Language: Mandarin
Currency: Yuan (¥)
Exchange rate: $0.15 per yuan
Average cost of a low-budget meal: ¥40
4. France
Number of students who study abroad: 17,597
Language: French
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate: $1.11 per euro
3. Spain
Number of students who study abroad: 26,949
Language: Spanish
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate: $1.11 per euro
Average cost of a low-budget meal: €10-15
2. Italy
Number of students who study abroad: 31,166
Language: Italian
Currency: Euro (€)
Exchange rate: $1.11 per euro
Average cost of a low-budget meal: €6-12
1. United Kingdom
Number of students who study abroad: 38,250
Language: English
Currency: British pound (£)
Exchange rate: $1.31 per pound
Average cost of a low-budget meal: £7-12
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