The number of students at CU Boulder studying abroad after the December break has jumped 33 percent compared to last spring. That has propelled CU to fourth place among 2,000 peer institutions that sent students on semester-length abroad programs, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of State.
For the whole year, the Boulder institution’s participation is also up 13 percent over last year, according to university statistics.
The study abroad program has seen steady increases since the pandemic. This year’s jump is a new record. Sylvie Burnet-Jones, the director of Education Abroad at the university, said her office doesn’t know why the numbers jumped so much, but there are some theories.
“We are still working with students who were in high school during COVID and were locked up and really were thinking about traveling and going places and really don't want to miss out on the experience right now,” she said.
A semester abroad for students of all incomes
University officials have also placed emphasis on making a semester abroad financially accessible. Students can transfer their financial aid that normally would have gone to classes at CU, including students with Pell grants. There are many CU scholarships available whether a student is in a general program or an engineering or business program, Burnet-Jones said.
“Anybody who demonstrates financial need will receive a scholarship, and then the amount will depend on the financial needs,” she said.
Pre-departure, the program advises students, gives guidance and health and safety oversight, helps with earning credits, and provides scholarships. The Global Opportunity (GO) scholarship provides a variety of scholarships including $5,000 for studying abroad for a semester or $3,000 for a summer abroad, along with other support and mentorships.
The Gilman Scholarship also offers supplemental funding for students who want to conduct research abroad. More than half of Gilman recipients come from rural communities and almost half are the first in their family to attend college.
“One of our goals is to reach every first-year student during their first year so that they all know about it and then they can decide whether they want to do it or not, but what we hate is when people say after the fact, ‘I wish I had known,’ ” said Burnet-Jones.
Thousands of students are studying abroad and learning valuable skills
About 6,300 Colorado students studied abroad in 2023-24, with more than 2,300 coming from CU Boulder. Statewide, that represents a 43 percent increase over the previous year.
Personal growth and development have always been central reasons why students go abroad. But increasingly, career development is another reason, Burnet-Jones said.
“You’re going to learn to live in a new culture, you're going to develop self-confidence, you're going to be able to navigate difficult situations. You’re going to meet new people and learn how to get along with new people.”
There’s also the excitement of discovering new places, cultures and languages.
She said skills developed abroad translate into skills that employers recognize, such as working on diverse teams, adaptability and self-confidence.
“Employers really know that people who have studied abroad or have lived in a different culture, have been successful in a different culture are going to be successful in the professional environment.”
Where are CU students going?
Several decades ago Western Europe was the most popular region. Since then, officials made great strides in encouraging students to try other parts of the world. But COVID halted that progress. Western Europe is currently the most popular location with Italy, Spain, the U.K., and France leading destinations.
But this year, Latin America is this year’s Region of the Year to expand awareness of nontraditional locations around the world. Education Abroad offers over 60 programs across 13 Latin American countries. Students who choose to study in Latin America will get a $2,000 scholarship with additional funding available.
Students can study in Spanish, but most universities in study abroad programs offer courses in English and also special courses in Spanish that are geared toward international students. In all programs, students earn credit so going abroad doesn’t “set them back,” a myth Burnet-Jones’ office tries to fight. CU has a course equivalency database that has more than 25,000 courses all over the world that already have equivalency at CU.
International student numbers in Colorado also up
The state department’s Open Doors report also tallies the number of students from other countries who studied on Colorado’s campuses last year. The number of international students studying in Colorado was up 4.5 percent last year, with nearly 10,300 students contributing about $404 million to the state’s economy.
CU Boulder leads the pack with more than 3,500 international students, followed by Colorado State University, the University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Denver. CU’s number has steadily risen since 2021.
Nearly a third of international students studying in Colorado come from India, followed by China, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Canada.
