CSB/SJU ranked No. 2 in national study-abroad report

11/13/2006

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are ranked No. 2 nationally among baccalaureate institutions for total number of study abroad students in the annual report on international education, Open Doors 2006, published by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

The two schools had a total of 569 students study abroad during the 2004-05 academic year, according to data released by IIE. Highlights from the Open Doors publication are released each November.

About six in 10 CSB students study internationally before they graduate, a participation rate nearly twice the national average for liberal arts colleges. For the past three years, Saint Benedict and Saint John’s together have been among the top three undergraduate liberal arts colleges nationally in the number of students participating in international study programs.

Before graduating, half of all CSB/SJU students will participate in one of CSB/SJU’s 17 semester-long programs. The programs, located in 13 countries on six continents, are led by faculty.

“I am absolutely thrilled that we have moved up in the rankings. Once again, we are showing that the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are fully committed to preparing our students for a global future,” said Kristi Kremers, CSB/SJU global education coordinator. “The educational value of study abroad is clearly recognized by our students, faculty, staff and administration. It is with their support that we have been able to build a truly remarkable nationally-recognized program that complements the high quality liberal arts educational opportunities offered on campus.”

“Our students stand out when competing for jobs and other opportunities because they are willing to step out of their comfort zone, can understand diverse perspectives and have developed exceptional initiative as a result of their experiences abroad,” Kremers added.

A total of 205,983 U.S. students studied abroad in 2004-05, an increase of 7.7 percent from the previous year. Over the past decade, the number of U.S. students studying abroad has more than doubled, according to the IIE.

The complete Open Doors 2006 report is available at the IIE Web site.