Covid-19 Is Giving Students Pause in Deciding to Study Abroad

The experience of escaping a college campus and traveling to a new country to study alongside a group of fresh classmates can be added to the long list of experiences that have fallen prey to Covid-19.

Although it might feel like we are close to getting past the worst of the pandemic, the dark memories of isolation still linger in the minds of many undergraduates, impacting their decisions to study abroad. 

A new survey from BestColleges.com covered college students’ perceptions about study abroad and travel desires. More than a quarter (29 percent) of currently enrolled undergraduate students surveyed said they had plans to study abroad but were unable to due to circumstances caused by Covid-19. 

While it might seem like getting sick in a foreign country is a concern, it sounds like this percentage is referencing “restrictions that were in place that prevented study abroad opportunities from even arising,” said Jessica Bryant, education analyst for BestColleges.com. Students are looking at what happened in the past few years to dictate their future decisions.

Another reason for ambivalence is the price.