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Nearly 2,000 Brigham Young University students studied abroad in 2009, maintaining the LDS Church-owned school's position as a leading participant in international education, according to a new report.
The Institute of International Education's annual "Open Doors" report ranks BYU 15th among U.S. universities in the number of students it sent overseas in the 2008-09 academic year.
"With every college at BYU providing support for international programs, there are worthwhile international opportunities that any BYU student can take advantage of, regardless of his or her major," said Lynn Elliott, international programs director, in a press statement.
The report found a decrease, for the first time in 25 years such data has been tracked, in the number of American students studying abroad for academic credit — dipping slightly to 260,000 after a doubling in participation during the preceding decade.
The institute's report did highlight notable increases in the number heading to less traditional destinations: 15 of the top 25 destinations were outside of Western Europe, and 19 were countries where English is not a primary language. Although they experienced big drops in traffic, the United Kingdom and Italy remained the top host counties for U.S. students.
"As educators, our challenge remains one of making international a part of what it means to become educated. International experience provides key skills needed by American graduates to succeed in the global work force," said Allan Goodman, president of the Institute of International Education.