Ranked Second Nationally in Study Abroad Survey

Cal Poly students are increasingly opting to study abroad, according to the Institute of International Education’s annual statistical survey of U.S. campuses for the 2018-19 academic year.

“Cal Poly has made top rankings — for the second year in a row — for master’s institutions for the total number of students we sent abroad in 2018-19 and for the number of students sent on mid-length study abroad programs that year,” said Cari Vanderkar, Cal Poly’s senior international officer and assistant vice provost for international programs. “While nationally about one in 10 U.S. undergraduates study abroad by the time of graduation, at Cal Poly about one in four undergraduate students studied abroad by the time of graduation in 2018-19.”

The Institute of International Education is the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the U.S. It has conducted the Open Doors Report annual survey since 1919; since the early 1970s, it has been aided by support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Open Doors surveys about 2,000 U.S. universities and colleges with study abroad programs. 

Since 2000, Cal Poly has ranked as a top sender in the nation among master’s level universities for internationally bound students.

In 2018-19 year, the most current numbers available, Cal Poly sent 1,216 students — 556 seniors and 511 juniors — abroad to 44 nations. Participation in study abroad has increased nearly 50 percent over the past five years. Cal Poly had 813 students participate in the 2013-14 academic year. Over the past 15 years, Cal Poly has seen participation in study abroad programs increase by nearly 116 percent, rising from 563 in 2003-04.

For more information, visit https://international.calpoly.edu/.