For the sixth consecutive year, and for the seventh time in the past eight years, Arcadia University is ranked first in the U.S. in study abroad participation, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report. Arcadia earned the recognition based on the percentage of undergraduate students participating in a study abroad experience at a master’s level college or university, as determined by the Institute of International Education (IIE), with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Arcadia University has been a leader in international education for nearly 70 years, since then-Beaver College first began sending students to study in post-war Europe. That legacy continues to be part of the Arcadia ethos. 

“The most beneficial study abroad experiences are comprised of an academic program that is an integral part of students’ educational program, one that is driven through the academy, not an embellishment consigned to the margins of academic undertaking,” said Dr. Nicolette DeVille Christensen, president of Arcadia University. “Before students arrive at Arcadia University, we underscore for them the importance of developing a global perspective and conversations about life’s boundaries and complexities both here and abroad and how this will fit into their curricular programming.”  

“We are delighted at this news from IIE and the hard work that this award demonstrates on the part of our entire community at Arcadia University,” said Lorna Stern, vice president of Arcadia University and executive director of The College of Global Studies. “As our campus seeks to embrace diversity in all its forms, it is encouraging to confirm that our students and faculty endorse our institutional commitment to globally located learning and engagement with difference.”

Arcadia offers unique programs such as the University-subsidized Preview program, which takes nearly 60 percent of the incoming class each year to more than a dozen international destinations as a part of their coursework; Global Field Study courses, which combine a semester of intense study on campus with one-to-two weeks of study abroad and will take some 150 students to 15 countries this year alone; and semester-long or yearlong study abroad experiences. 

“The ranking is a testament to Arcadia’s faculty and staff that have been leading global field experiences and experiential learning around the world,” said Warren Haffar, dean of International Affairs at Arcadia. “Arcadia faculty have embraced the international mission of the university by expanding the walls of their classrooms to include international experiential learning and apply their disciplinary expertise across the world.”

For more information on all of Arcadia’s study abroad and international education programs, visit www.arcadia.edu/studyabroad.