More American students head abroad than you might think, and Europe is the magnet that draws them in. But here’s where it gets interesting: the U.S. isn’t just a destination for international students—many Americans choose to study overseas each year, with Europe taking an overwhelming share of those departures.
New data from the Open Doors report, released by the Institute of International Education (IIE), shows that 298,180 U.S. students studied abroad during the 2023–2024 academic year, a 6.2% rise from the year before. Europe accounted for 64% of these American study-abroad participants, up 5.8% from the previous period. Within Europe, seven of the top ten host countries are located there, led by Italy, which alone hosted roughly 15% of all outbound U.S. students.
In Asia, Japan attracted the most U.S. students, followed by South Korea. On the whole, U.S. study abroad numbers rose in most regions around the world, with two notable declines in the Middle East–North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Top destinations for the 2023–2024 academic year
1. Italy — 45,000 students (15.1%)
2. Spain — 36,900 students (12.4%)
3. United Kingdom — 36,500 students (12.2%)
4. France — 16,700 students (5.6%)
5. Japan — 11,200 students (3.8%)
6. Ireland — 10,200 students (3.4%)
7. Germany — 9,700 students (3.2%)
8. Greece — 6,800 students (2.3%)
9. Australia — 6,500 students (2.2%)
10. South Korea — 6,200 students (2.1%)
Among fields of study, STEM disciplines—encompassing Agriculture, Engineering, Health Professions, Mathematics or Computer Science, and Physical or Life Sciences—account for about 27.2% of American study-abroad enrollments. Business and Management come next at roughly 21.7%, followed by Social Sciences at about 17.8%.
Despite growing numbers, most U.S. students still study abroad for relatively short periods. The majority participate for half a semester or one full semester, with only around 2% choosing a full academic-year experience.
The Open Doors report also notes that about 1.18 million international students came to the United States during the 2023–2024 academic year, from more than 200 countries and territories. This influx generated approximately $55 billion in economic activity for the U.S. economy.
Vietnamese students comprised nearly 25,600 of international arrivals, up about 16%, keeping Vietnam among the top five sources of international students to the U.S. This marks the highest level since the 2000–2001 academic year.
The Open Doors report is produced annually by IIE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to U.S. educational exchange programs, and has been funded by the U.S. Department of State since 1972.
