Cal Poly sends more students to study abroad than other U.S. colleges, survey says
Cal Poly sent the most students to study abroad among all master’s-level universities in the United States during the 2019-2020 school year, according to a survey by the Institute of International Education.
For a third year straight, the San Luis Obispo university also ranked first for students who study abroad in a mid-length program.
In 2019-2020, 863 Cal Poly students studied in 46 countries. Of those students, 786 studied in a mid-length program, a program that lasts a semester or a quarter, according to the institute.
The Institute of International Education is a non-profit educational and cultural exchange organization. It conducts an annual survey of about 2,000 U.S. schools with study abroad programs with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Study abroad was halted in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in fall 2021 and about 150 students are currently abroad.
“Cal Poly’s vision for internationalization is to provide foundational experiential learning, teaching, service and scholarship opportunities at home and abroad that will best equip graduates and the campus community at large to solve complex global challenges sustainably, ethically and inclusively,” according to a Cal Poly news release.
During 2018-2019, more than 1,200 Cal Poly students studied abroad.
Study abroad is an important part of students’ degree programs and a reflection of the university’s global mindset, according to Cal Poly’s senior international officer and assistant vice provost for international programs Cari Vanderkar.
“We are thrilled by the ranking and look forward to our continued strong participation in study abroad and international education generally as the world navigates out of the pandemic,” Vanderkar said.
In the past 20 years, Cal Poly has also ranked among the top 10 schools with the most students who study abroad in a long-term program lasting one academic year.
