Many prospective study abroad students tend to ask the same question. Does study abroad really improve my chances at having greater career opportunities? The answer to this questions is simple …. Yes it does. Recent studies have shown that you have a higher chance of successfully getting offered job opportunities sooner after you graduate. These offers also involve slightly higher salaries than offered to those who do not have study abroad experience.

The findings of an IES Study also revealed:

• 97% of study abroad college alumni secured jobs within the first year out from graduation. This compared to the 49% of those in the college graduate general population. *
• 90% of study abroad alumni managed to get into their first or second professional job or graduate school of choice.
• 84% of study abroad alumni believed that studying abroad had helped them to build important job skills including communication, adaptability, tolerance, cultural sensitivity, and 2^nd language proficiency.

The IES Abroad 2012 Recent Graduate Study was to assess the study abroad impacts of those who recently graduated with the prospect of securing employment or attending a specific school straight after graduation.

Overall there was a total of 1,008 IES Study Abroad alumni who were respondents used in the study.  For comparison with non-study abroad alumni employment data, it used the data from a report by John J. Heldrich Center for the Rutgers Workforce Development on graduates from The State University of New Jersey.  This showed that from 2006-2011, 49% of graduates with no study abroad experience were able to find full time jobs within their first year from graduation. This was compared against the 95% of IES Abroad alumni people who responded.

This study shows a significant increase in students who study abroad found better opportunities.