For the eighth consecutive year, Arcadia University is ranked first in the U.S. in study abroad participation, according to the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors report, released yesterday. 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 70 years, since then-Beaver College first began sending students to study in post-war Europe. Approximately 75 percent of the Arcadia undergraduates study abroad.

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 a study abroad opportunity and will take some 180 students on 12 programs this year alone; and 270 students will study abroad for a semester or year. The University has academic programs in 12 countries around the world.

“Today’s college students must have a global perspective, and that goes well beyond classroom learning,” said Dr. John Hoffman, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Arcadia. “Study abroad participation at Arcadia provides an integrative learning experience that is part of our undergraduate curriculum. I commend our faculty and staff for developing global programming that includes faculty-mentored research, internships, and service learning experiences.”

“We are once again delighted at the news from IIE and are humbled by the dedication and effort demonstrated by the entire community at Arcadia University,” said Lorna Stern, vice president of Arcadia University and executive director of The College of Global Studies. “Further, we salute the curiosity and academic ambitions of our students who continue to embrace and seek out wider, deeper, and more challenging learning opportunities. Study abroad that enriches and genuinely broadens our students perspectives cannot be measured simply by the numbers of students studying abroad. Nevertheless, it is one measure of an institution’s capacity to expand access for all. It is encouraging to confirm that our students and faculty continue to endorse our institutional commitment to globally located learning.”

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