Why IES Abroad

As a mission-driven not-for-profit organization, we're not ashamed to admit we're a little obsessed with study abroad. If we have any surplus revenue, it goes right back in to our programs, typically in the form of scholarships and aid. Why? Simply because we believe in doing the right thing for our students. Since our founding in 1950, we’ve been student-focused in everything we do—and that will never change.

We are proud to set the standard for health and safety in study abroad. Our Chicago-based and on-site staff are all highly trained and experienced in the matters of health, safety, and crisis management. We are here for you from predeparture to your return, and are ready to support you—wherever you are.

The faculty teaching IES Abroad courses are hand-selected from some of the world's leading universities. You won't just be taking classes in a new location, your host city will become your classroom as your professors share local insight, professional experience, and culturally enriched course-related trips. Altogether, achieving high standards of academic excellence requires the involvement and participation of our consortium schools, the Academic Department at our headquarters in Chicago, highly skilled Center Directors around the world, and world-class university partners and faculty. Together, these groups make us the academic leader in study abroad.

We know you're looking for the right program to fit your academic needs and ideal travel location. From Santiago to Shanghai, we’re dedicated to having programs in diverse locations all over the world and in a wide range of disciplines. Our programs offer IES Abroad-taught courses at our Centers, the option to enroll in a course or two at a local partner university, or you can directly enroll and take all your courses at one of our local partner universities. Through a part-time or full-time internship, you can add global brilliance to your résumé while you’re abroad.

We’re here to help you make the study abroad dream a reality. With scholarship and aid opportunities for everything from specific majors to specific need, we’re proud to help you fund this adventure.

Our focused commitment to diversity started back in the 1960s, and in 2008, we launched our Initiative to Diversify Education Abroad (IDEA), the first of its kind in the study abroad industry. As part of our commitment to making study abroad accessible to under-represented students, we’re proud to offer Identity Scholarships, a comprehensive list of diversity resources, and personalized support from our Diversity team.

Through IES Abroad, IES Internships, Customized & Faculty-Led Programs, and the Study Abroad Foundation (SAF), we offer a wide range of international education programming. Learn more about what we do—from study abroad programs for college students to one-of-a-kind, customized experiences designed with college/university staff or faculty.

Think of the IES Abroad Center as your campus or a local space in which you’ll take classes, meet for community events, and study with friends. Led by our highly-experienced Center Directors, each of our Centers are run by IES Abroad staff committed to helping you make the most of your study abroad experience—from academic support to student life activities. 

Whether it's a homestay, residence hall, or apartment, we take care to place you in housing reflective of student accomodations in your host city that meets our high standards for health and safety. Your host city will likely feel like home by the end of your term, so we make sure your housing is just as welcoming.

Our Academic Consortium is made up of 270+ leading U.S. colleges and universities who partner with us to send their students abroad. This means your classmates at IES Abroad Centers will include U.S. and international students from all over the United States contributing their diverse experiences to class discussion. Across all our business lines, there are nearly 250 universities in our expansive academic network where our students can take courses while studying abroad.

You have an individual Program Advisor to help you prepare for your study abroad adventure. Program Advisors are compassionate, travel savvy professionals who know the ins-and-outs of the IES Abroad program you’ve applied for. From visa requirements to travel details, our Program Advisors are your #1 resource for gearing up to study abroad.

Share your study abroad experience in real-time on IES Abroad Blogs by applying to be an IES Abroad Correspondent. Submit an original film to the Study Abroad Film Festival. Share how you're giving back to your community abroad and after returning home by applying to be our Global Citizen of the Year. These are just some of the ways we elevate student stories, because after all, no one knows the IES Abroad experience better than our students themselves. 

We have always considered sustainability and earth-friendly practices to be an integral part of the global experience. This is why, in 2021, we formalized these values into our Global Good Commitment. With inspiration from the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, we have committed to three main values: sustainable living, equitable living, and human well-being. These values are strategically-woven into our curriculum, and program offerings.

From Top Study Abroad Organization based on student reviews (two years in a row!) to Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion, we’re proud to have been recognized and awarded for our commitment to providing students with superior study abroad experiences.