BOULDER, Colo. — A generation of young people who spent part of their high school years learning at home seem to now be embracing world travel. The number of college students choosing to study abroad is seeing a significant increase.
Sylvie Burnet-Jones, Director of Education Abroad at the University of Colorado Boulder, suspects the pandemic may be part of the reason.
“Post COVID, students really want to make the most of their experience at CU Boulder,” Burnet-Jones said.
At CU Boulder, the number students studying abroad in the spring of 2025 is 33% higher than spring 2024. Colorado State University is seeing a similar trend. 100 more CSU students studied abroad in the fall of 2024 compared to fall 2023.
The types of students studying abroad are also expanding to include majors that were historically underrepresented. CSU spokesperson Jennifer Dimas said, students in Natural Resources and Engineering are expressing more interest.
At CU Bouder, the most popular major for studying abroad is Business, but there are options for every department.
Burnet-Jones said, the role of her office is to make sure there are options for every student, and that programs are accessible — no matter a student’s financial situation.
“We offer different kinds of programs with different lengths and so different costs, we also offer lots of scholarships,” Burnet-Jones said.
CU Sophomore Jordan Quach was able to enroll in a program in Valencia, Spain, with the help of two scholarships. He also lives with a host family, which can cut down on expenses.
“It was definitely a lot of work to get the aid, and all the stress of preparing your visa, preparing for classes, but it was extremely worth it,” Quach said.
CU Senior Rachael Nelson said, for lower income students like herself, it could be difficult to find enough aid to cover the costs. She ended up receiving 15 different scholarships for her program in Perugia, Italy.
“I’m the first person in my family to ever leave the country for any reason so I would love to see more people that are maybe low income or first generation like myself, have the experience that I’ve been able to have,” Nelson said.
Nelson was able to immerse herself in the Italian language, and said the program will help her career in Archaeology and Anthropology.
“There’s a world-class Archaeology museum 10 minutes walk from my front door. It's just unmatched," Nelson said.
Quach, an engineering major, said his semester in Spain has taught him about how other countries approach problems like energy, which will help him in his career. But more importantly, he said living abroad has made him a better citizen of the world.
“It’s incredible meeting new people, different people that have different views,” Quach said.