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The first large-scale survey to explore the long-term impact of study abroad on a student’s personal, professional, and academic life shows that study abroad positively and unequivocally influences the career path, world-view, and self-confidence of students. The Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) surveyed alumni from all IES study abroad programs from 1950 to 1999. Regardless of where students studied and for how long, the data from the more than 3,400 respondents shows that studying abroad is usually a defining moment in a young person's life and continues to impact the participant’s life for years after the experience.

When asked about personal growth, 97 percent said studying abroad served as a catalyst for increased maturity, 96 percent reported increased self-confidence, 89 percent said that it enabled them to tolerate ambiguity, and 95 percent stated that it has had a lasting impact on their world view.

When questioned about intercultural development, 98 percent of respondents said that study abroad helped them to better understand their own cultural values and biases, and 82 percent replied that study abroad contributed to their developing a more sophisticated way of looking at the world.

When questioned about academic pursuits, 87 percent of respondents said that study abroad influenced subsequent educational experiences, and 63 percent said that it influenced their decision to expand or change academic majors. Three-quarters of respondents asserted that they acquired skill sets abroad that influenced their career path, and 62 percent said that studying abroad ignited an interest in a career direction pursued after the experience.

Study abroad reached its all-time high in the 2007-2008 academic year and has been declining ever since. Not only are expenses associated with study abroad increasing, but at the same time, scholarships, financial aid, grants, and fellowships that used to be available to study abroad students are decreasing, as well. In March 2012, IES Abroad surveyed 1,008 study abroad alumni to “assess the impact study abroad has on a recent graduate’s prospects in securing employment and/or attending graduate school directly after earning a degree from a four-year college or university in the U.S.” The key findings of the 2012 study showed that nearly 90% of study abroad alumni secured a job within the first six months after graduation; 50% felt the overseas experience helped them acquire their first jobs; 84% felt that studying abroad helped them develop valuable job skills such as foreign language knowledge, cultural training, tolerance for ambiguity, adaptability, communication, and more; and 90% were admitted into their first or second choice graduate or professional school.

For many years, conventional wisdom in the study abroad field has been that “more is better”—the longer students study abroad, the more significant the academic and cultural development and personal growth benefits are. According to the survey results, the “more is better” idea holds true. However, the results of the study also suggest that programs of at least six weeks in duration can also be enormously successful in producing important academic, inter- and intra-personal, career, and intercultural development outcomes. These findings are significant considering the current increase in students attending shorter programs. Students attending full-year, semester, and summer programs all report the following benefits:

Foreign language fluency.Whether you are translating archives at a museum or plan on corresponding with businesses worldwide, being fluent in languages other than your native can be very useful.

International knowledge base. Your acquired knowledge is especially useful for careers in international affairs, government service or international business, but can be applied to any field.

Cross-cultural communication.In addition to speaking the actual language, study abroad can help you hone in on other communication skills.

Analytical skills.As you interact with locals abroad, you will learn to analyze situations with more precision.

Teamwork.Interacting with all kinds of locals and fellow foreigners abroad, will strengthen your ability to work as a team player and even take on leadership roles where appropriate.

Flexibility.Study abroad involves adapting to new circumstances, which is often critical when you have to solve problems back home.

Ability to manage finances.As a studying abroad student, you will have to manage your money effectively, which includes understanding the financial aid process and how to reduce your general expenses abroad best.

Independence.When living on your own, you will have to learn to become independent. As you mature in the process, you will also learn to become more self-confident.

The IES Abroad study reaffirms that both employers and graduate schools value all of the above skills. The economic crisis is resulting in more and more job layoffs. While it is impossible to generalize that less qualified staff is laid off first, it is valid to conclude that having a competitive edge will increase your job prospects. Studying abroad, increasing your cross-communication skills, and becoming fluent in a foreign language will make you stand out from many other candidates applying for any open position. If employers see that you can adapt to difficult situations in a foreign country, there are chances that you can solve problems back home, and problem solving has become a more treasured skill in almost all professions.