Study Abroad Programs: What's Hot and What's Not
StudyAbroad.com reveals which programs are gaining and losing popularity
CHESTER, PA, November 2, 2002 -
England is "in." Israel is not. South Africa, Niger and New Zealand are gaining in popularity.
Study abroad trends are changing, and recently there has been a shift in program interests by students that want to study in a foreign country, reports StudyAbroad.com (www.studyabroad.com), the number-one online resource for international education information.
Currently, based on student interest (not program enrollment), StudyAbroad.com reports that the hottest study abroad destinations are:
1. Spain
2. China
3. Canada
4. Germany
5. Australia
6. England
7. Italy
8. France
9. Japan
10. Sweden
These countries generated the highest volume of traffic from prospective students in September 2002, according to StudyAbroad.com. The nations that saw the greatest increase in interest from August through September 2002 were South Africa (+391%), Niger (+150%), England (+110%), New Zealand (+94%) and Costa Rica (+98%).
Destinations that have seen a significant dip in popularity include Cyprus (-37%) and Ghana (-20%). Also decreasing in popularity is Israel, formerly a mainstay on StudyAbroad.com's "Top 20" destinations list. A number of study abroad programs in Israel have been suspended due to safety concerns.
The degree of popularity of the programs was measured by how often they have been searched by prospective students in the last two months at StudyAbroad.com, which offers a comprehensive online directory of study abroad programs. In addition, a 42% increase in visitors since September 2001, indicates that study abroad programs are growing as an academic option.
StudyAbroad.com provides in-depth and current information on over 12,000 foreign study programs at no charge to prospective students. Since its inception, StudyAbroad.com has been keeping detailed statistics measuring student interest in particular programs and is offering this "Top 20" countries list as a service to the community.
"Our growth and the growth of English-speaking programs are indicative of an overall growth of student interest in international education. Study abroad programs are moving into the mainstream college population and becoming an important part of higher education," says Mark Shay, president of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. "The surge in interest in South Africa and New Zealand, new comers to our 'Top 20' list, may be attributed to recent world events and a desire to spend time in places that do not require experience with a foreign language." The StudyAbroad.com Top 20 has been produced since 1999 and has helped study abroad administrators plan programs. StudyAbroad.com traffic facts are available at http://www.studyabroad.com/traffic.html."
About StudyAbroad.com
StudyAbroad.com is the Internet's leading source of international education information. It contains directories of study abroad and intensive language programs that are organized by both subject and destination. StudyAbroad.com also includes the Destination Portal Pages, the popular "StudyAbroad.com Handbook: A Guide to Traveling Abroad," discussion boards, financial aid information and much, much more. Studyabroad.com is a service of Educational Directories Unlimited, Inc. (www.edudirectories.com).
For more information on Educational Directories Unlimited, please contact Matt Ulmer by phone at 484-766-9200, via e-mail at mulmer@edudirectories.com.