Study Abroad, Careers, Salaries, and Job Skills

• 97% of study abroad students found employment within 12 months of graduation, compared with 49% of college graduates overall during the same period. (1) Among study abroad alumni, 90% found employment within 6 months. (2) A UK study also found that students who studied abroad were more likely to find employment within six months of graduation. (12)
• Study abroad alumni reported starting salaries up to 25% higher than those of graduates who did not study abroad. (1) A British study found that study abroad graduates earned 17% more than their peers. (12) This was estimated to equal approximately $7,000 more per year for U.S. graduates and £3,120 more for UK graduates. Over the course of a career, maintaining that earnings advantage could result in significantly higher lifetime earnings. (3)
• 90% of study abroad alumni who applied to graduate or professional school were admitted to their first- or second-choice program. (1)
• 84% of study abroad alumni said their experience helped them develop valuable skills for the job market. (4) A second study reported a similar result of 85%. (10)
• 40% of U.S. businesses reported that a lack of employees with international experience limited their ability to expand internationally. (14)
• 80% of study abroad students reported that their experience helped them become better able to adapt to diverse work environments. (4)
• 70% of study abroad alumni said their study abroad experience contributed to greater satisfaction with their jobs. (4)
• 59% of employers said study abroad experience would be valuable to an employee’s future career within their organization. (11)
• 34% of study abroad alumni said their experience helped them choose a career field. (4)
• A British study found some of the largest salary increases among study abroad alumni in fields including sociology, computer science, theology and religious studies, electronic and electrical engineering, and physical geographical sciences. (4)

Study Abroad and Personality

97% of study abroad alumni in a University of Maryland study of IES Abroad participants said their experience increased their maturity. (13)

96% of study abroad alumni reported increased self-confidence as a result of studying abroad. (13)

89% of study abroad alumni said their experience helped them become more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. (13)

A German study examining personality development found that students who studied abroad showed greater growth in several core traits compared with peers who did not study abroad, including:

• Openness
• Conscientiousness
• Extraversion
• Agreeableness
• Maturity and emotional stability (9)

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