The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University continue to be national leaders in study abroad, rising in the latest Open Doors 2025 report and ranking among the top baccalaureate institutions in the U.S. for both overall participation and mid-length programs.
Open Doors is the annual report on international education published by the Institute of International Education (IIE) in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The 2025 report was released on Monday, Nov. 17:
- Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s moved up to 14th among baccalaureate schools with 362 students who studied abroad during the 2023-24 academic year, the most recent data measured by the IIE.
- CSB and SJU are ranked No. 19 among baccalaureate schools with a combined 211 students who studied abroad in mid-length programs during the 2023-24 academic year. The IIE defines mid-length study abroad programs as lasting one semester or one or two quarters (Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s operate on a semester system).
CSB and SJU have consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally in both categories over the past two decades. Approximately 44.8% of CSB and SJU 2023-24 graduating seniors studied abroad.
CSB and SJU’s Center for Global Education annually offers students 12 semester-long programs, most of which are faculty-led. The schools also conduct 8-12 faculty-led short-term study abroad programs.
“Our office is delighted to see CSB and SJU continue to be national leaders in study abroad participation,” said Joy Ruis, director of the Center for Global Education at CSB and SJU. “These rankings affirm our long-standing commitment to global engagement and the transformative power of international education for our students. CSB and SJU are proud to support our students through immersive programs that prepare them to thrive in a globally connected world.”
The 2025 Open Doors report found 298,180 Americans studied abroad for academic credit from their colleges and universities in 2023-24. The leading destinations for U.S. students were (in order) Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom.
The total number of international students studying at U.S. colleges and universities was 1,177,766 in 2024-25. The top origin countries for students coming to the U.S. were (in order) India, China and South Korea.
