Can studying abroad jump-start your career? Our findings say yes! 

By living and learning abroad, IES Abroad students develop highly sought-after professional skills—adaptability, communication, self-awareness, confidence—that not only make them more hirable, but also launch their career.

What are the benefits of study abroad?

students running up a hill in dirndl dresses on the boarder of Austria

See the World

Pretty soon you'll realize weekends are meant for travel...to another country.

a diverse group of students looking at Chinese characters on a page

Develop Your Language Skills

When you study abroad, you don't just learn the language, you live it!

a student intern poses with her students for a photo

Gain Professional Experience

An international internship is a great way to boost your résumé.

students laugh while cooking with their host mom in Rabat

Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

Walking to class, catching a bus to another part of town, and chatting with locals are daily adventures.

students at our partner university, UBA, in Buenos Aires laughing during a break in classes

Form Friendships

From classmates to host families, before you know it strangers become friends.

students walking near Convento de San Esteban in Salamanca

Increase Your Self-Confidence

Our students know it best: “The first person you find abroad is yourself.” 

Can studying abroad jump-start your career? Our findings say yes! 

By living and learning abroad, IES Abroad students develop highly sought-after professional skills—adaptability, communication, self-awareness, confidence—that not only make them more hirable, but also launch their career. 

From a groundbreaking 50-Year Alumni Study (2002) to a timely study of economic recession/post-recession outcomes (2012), IES Abroad has a rich history of leading the field of international education in quantitative research on the practical outcomes of studying abroad. The most recent study was conducted in April 2016 to assess the impact study abroad has on a recent graduate's career. A total of 1,205 IES Abroad alumni who graduated college between 2012 and 2015 responded to the survey.

Our survey findings show key career benefits of study abroad, including: 

a student intern posing for a photo in Paris

Increased Hireability

Most IES Abroad alumni feel that studying abroad helped them develop valuable job skills, such as language proficiency, cultural understanding, tolerance for ambiguity, adaptability, and self-confidence.

Close up of 100 Yuan folded in half with the Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square in the background

Higher Starting Salaries

IES Abroad alumni earn an average of $6,000 more in starting salaries (compared to recent U.S. college graduates from the National Career Outcomes Report).

Intern sitting in front of a computer screen in Vienna

Jobs Secured More Quickly After Graduation

Nearly three quarters of IES Abroad alumni secured their first job within two months of graduation.

University of Sydney under a rainbow

Higher Acceptance Into Grad School

90% of IES Abroad alumni continuing on to graduate school earned admission into their 1st or 2nd choice graduate or professional school.

Gregory D. Hess headshot
“Employers understand the extraordinary benefits of study abroad, and many seek out graduates who made their study abroad dreams a reality. After all, the skills you learn when you’re abroad—adaptability, global understanding, leadership, and independence, to name a few—are directly applicable to finding success in any professional environment. From the boardroom to the classroom and everywhere in-between, changed lives change the world.”
Gregory H. • President & CEO of IES Abroad

Your world [redefined]®

Apply Now
student looking up at Basílica de la Sagrada Família in Barcelona