WFU ranks fourth in percentage of students studying abroad

Wake Forest University ranks fourth among doctoral U.S. colleges and universities in the percentage of students studying abroad, according to the Open Doors 2019 report published today by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

According to the IIE’s methodology, nearly 75% of Wake Forest undergraduates received credit for study abroad in the 2017-2018 academic year, up from 73.5% in 2016-2017. Students spent anywhere from a few weeks to a summer to a full academic year studying in countries around the world. Wake Forest has been in the top 10 for the better part of two decades.

The report shows that 341,751 American students received academic credit last year at the home campus for study abroad in 2017/2018. Approximately one in ten U.S. students study abroad during their undergraduate career.

The top host destinations for U.S. students studying abroad were the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and Germany. Twenty-five percent of all students who studied abroad were majoring in STEM fields at their home institution followed by business and social sciences.

Committed to creating a global campus community, Wake Forest has developed a suite of programs and opportunities to support intercultural inquiry, self-awareness, community interaction, intercultural communication and global responsibility.

• Global AWAKEnings is the University’s first-year abroad experience in Copenhagen, Denmark. Students engage in coursework led by Wake Forest and Danish faculty members who bring real-life practice from their fields into the classroom. The program, designed for 18 to 20 students, was launched in fall 2017. According to Open Doors 2019, only 4% of first-year college students chose to study abroad. Only 2% of college students who study abroad during their college experience spend an entire academic year in another country.
• Global Village is a collaborative living and learning community for diverse international and domestic students to explore global themes through curricular and co-curricular activities. Twenty-four students commit to social, cultural and intellectual development to deepen cross-cultural understanding and foster engagement within the residential environment as well as external communities.
• Community-Based Global Learning is a two-week opportunity in either Southeast Asia or Africa that focuses on opportunities for students to work closely with local communities and organizations to promote sustainable social, environmental and economic development.
• Global Connections is a three-part year-long academic program for first-year international students enrolled in Wake Forest. The program builds self-confidence among international students and helps them develop the language, writing and cultural skills needed to succeed.

The University offers more than 400 semester, summer and year-long study abroad programs in 200 cities in more than 70 countries worldwide.