Report: Students who study abroad earn more after graduation

Students who studied abroad earn on average $4,159 more in their first job after graduation than those who did not, according to a recent report from The Forum on Education Abroad.

“This data underscores how education abroad is a smart decision for investing in one’s future,” Melissa Torres, President and CEO of The Forum on Education Abroad, said.

The report, "International Experience as A Career Asset: Exploring the Earnings Impact of Education Abroad Participation," compiles data from four business schools across the United States to compare starting salaries for undergraduate business majors.

The salary increase represents a 6.3% earnings differential for education abroad participants. Notably, a starting salary differential was observed not only among A students but also among those who earned B and C averages.

“The significant salary differential at the very start of a graduate’s career will compound into even greater earnings down the line. The results shown through this study are further evidence of how education abroad a powerful accelerator of career and economic success,” Torres said.

The business schools were all part of large, public universities in four different states, and the study’s data is based on 7,487 students who graduated between 2021 and 2025. Each school offers education abroad programs that vary in length, location and format, and the data they shared represents students who studied abroad in all world regions, with the most common region being Europe.

The study was conducted as part of The Forum's Education Abroad: The Career Catalyst campaign, a field-wide campaign to showcase the career-defining impact of education abroad — how it equips students with real-world skills, professional agility and a broader perspective that sets them apart in the workforce.

In a separate survey of more than 8,000 education abroad alumni, 90% said that studying abroad helped them build job skills, and over half said it helped them get their first jobs.  

Read “Global Learning for a Competitive Workforce: Findings from a National Survey of Education Abroad Alumni,” which was also published by The Forum.

The Forum on Education Abroad is a non-profit organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad.

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