College application season is upon us — that hectic time of going on a million college tours and rushing to your mailbox to see if you have a fat letter in the mail from your top school. Or maybe you’re a bit behind on the application game and are still trying to figure out whether you want to apply to a big school or a small school. Or perhaps even you’re searching for which college is best for your desired major, or which schools have the best dining hall food. All in all, there’s a lot of things to consider when deciding what college is right for you — and another thing to think about? Whether you want to travel and study abroad.
Many students want to study abroad when going to college, but there’s a lot of things to consider — like if your school of choice even has the right study abroad program for you. Feeling overwhelmed by all the options? Don’t worry — I did a bit of digging to find out which colleges offer some of the best study abroad programs for students. If you’re thinking about grabbing your passport, hopping on a plane, and studying abroad in college, here are 15 colleges to consider for study abroad.
- New York University
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Located in the heart of New York City, New York University (NYU) has more to offer than just being in the Big Apple. Because hey, why stay there when you have the option to go to school in over a dozen different countries? Many students choose NYU for its study abroad offerings, with over 3,000 NYU students choosing to go abroad in 2019 through 2020. NYU offers a wide variety of study abroad programs in countries like Japan, England, France, Spain, and Italy — and better yet, the university has loads of summer abroad programs.
- Middlebury College
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Nestled in Middlebury, Vermont, Middlebury College is a small private liberal arts college with lots of study abroad opportunities. Middlebury College has over 90 different study abroad programs in more than 40 countries, with different schools located in countries like Argentina, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, and Spain.
- Georgetown University
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With more than 200 study abroad programs in nearly 60 countries, Georgetown University is a great college for studying abroad. The school also offers a special study abroad program just outside of Florence, Italy, where you can stay in a gorgeous villa (Love Island, anyone?) or live with a host family. Whether you’re a business major or are studying nursing, Georgetown University surely has the right study abroad program for you.
- University of Texas at Austin
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University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) is an awesome school to go to if you want to study abroad. Offering more than 400 study abroad programs in over 100 countries, the options are truly endless. UT Austin also offers resources, scholarships, and funding for first generation students who want to go abroad.
- Kalamazoo College
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Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Kalamazoo College is known for being the “gold standard” when it comes to its study abroad programs. The school has both domestic and international program partners in places like Australia, Chile, Greece, and Scotland. What makes Kalamazoo’s study abroad offerings special is that all students who study abroad participate in a selected activity that’s meaningful to them and the local community that they’re studying abroad in, allowing them to dive deeper into that place’s culture.
- University of Washington
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Known for its dedication to global engagement, the University of Washington offers hundreds of study abroad programs. The university is even working on a new study abroad program in Rome, Italy, called Rome in Residence. Just picture grabbing a cappuccino and going to class on the foundations of a Roman temple. (OK, so can I go back to college?)
- Goucher College
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Goucher College is a small liberal arts college located in Baltimore, Maryland, that’s serious about its study abroad programs. So serious, in fact, that the school requires all undergrad students to study abroad at least once before they graduate. Whether you want to study pop culture in Japan or sharpen your language skills in Costa Rica (see you later, Duolingo), Goucher College has the program for you. The school also offers three-week intensive programs or semester-long programs, so you can choose the best fit for you.
- Boston University
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Boston University is well-known for its amazing study abroad opportunities, with more than 70 programs in over 20 countries. Better yet, most of the university’s study abroad programs are even available to non-BU students. Whether you want to study film in Australia or take business classes in Copenhagen, Denmark, BU has you covered.
- Duke University
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Duke University has study abroad programs on six (yes, six!) continents, where students can earn academic credit in subjects like engineering, public policy, history, and more. The university offers both Duke-In Programs (programs that are fully Duke-run or in partnership with other institutions) and Duke-Approved Programs (programs that are sponsored by other universities but approved by the Duke Global Education Committee), meaning there’s something for everyone.
- Texas A&M University
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Texas A&M University offers over 300 study abroad programs, including all-major and major-specific programs. Want to study wildlife conservation medicine in Africa? Texas A&M has a program for that. Interested in learning about aerospace engineering? Texas A&M has a program in Brazil for you. The options are limitless!
- San Diego State University
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Located in sunny Southern California, San Diego State University (SDSU) boasts hundreds of study abroad programs in over 50 countries. The school also offers virtual international programs for its students, too!
- University Of Wisconsin At Madison
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With over 200 study abroad programs available, students at the University of Wisconsin at Madison (UW Madison) have lots of options when it comes to taking their education global. Want to study art in Beijing, China? UW Madison’s got you covered. Interested in pursuing your love of film in the City of Love? There’s a special film program in Paris, France, for that. Grab your passport, bestie.
- University of Michigan
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Previously ranked fifth in the nation in the number of students studying abroad in 2019 through 2020, the University of Michigan has a wide range of study abroad opportunities. The university offers hundreds of study abroad programs in countries like Denmark, Ireland, Japan, and South Africa.
- University of Minnesota
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The University of Minnesota has 180 study abroad programs in over 50 countries, meaning it has a lot of options for its students. Another bonus? The university also offers a wide variety of programs for non-students. The school recently launched a new program in Sicily, Italy, where design students can go to learn from both local and international designers.
- Syracuse University
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Last but not certainly least, Syracuse University also has a ton of great study abroad opportunities. With over 100 programs in 60 different countries, Syracuse’s study abroad program has been highly ranked and is well-known for its wide variety of global internships, homestays, and field research trips. Can’t commit to a full semester of studying abroad? No worries! Syracuse also offers short-term study abroad programs running from one to three weeks.
