The United Kingdom continues to be the most popular nation for U.S. college students enrolled for academic credit in other countries.
The International Institute of Education's annual Open Doors report says that in 2017-18, a total of 39,403 U.S. students were taking courses in the United Kingdom. That represents 11.5% of the 341,751 U.S. students taking part in academic programs in other nations in 2017-18.
The United Kingdom has been the most popular destination for U.S. students abroad in every Open Doors report going back to at least 1998-99.
The overall number of U.S. college students abroad continues to climb. The 341,751 students in 2017-18 is 2.7% greater than the 332,727 students studying outside the United States in 2016-17.
The number of students traveling abroad for higher education programs has increased significantly since the turn of the 21st century. In 1999-2000, there were 143,590 U.S. students studying abroad; by 2017-18, the number had increased by 138%.
European destinations accounted for more than 54% (187,534) of U.S. college students abroad in 2017-18. Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Ireland all were among the countries most popular among those who traveled outside the United States for higher education.
Here are the 10 countries that were the most popular destinations for U.S. college students abroad.