The standing of U.S. universities, once magnets for talent from around the world, is wobbling. More American students are heading to Europe or Asia to escape sky-high tuition and political turmoil. Some are calling it an "educational exodus." It is being read as a sign that the reputation of U.S. higher education, long considered the world's best, is faltering.
On the 25th (local time), CBS in the United States reported, citing the case of A, 19, who attended a California community college for two years, that the number of American students looking overseas is steadily rising. After graduating from community college, A hoped to transfer to a UC system state university but gave up because of expensive tuition. In an interview with CBS, A said, "I am currently preparing to enroll at a Dutch university where tuition is affordable," adding, "After the 2024 presidential election, as social divisions have intensified, concerns about safety in the United States have also grown."
According to the Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors report, the number of Americans who went abroad to earn degrees jumped from about 50,000 in 2019 to more than 90,000 in 2024, roughly doubling. Including short-term programs, the total number of American students studying abroad returned to pre-pandemic levels at 280,716 in the 2023 academic year.
Europe is the most popular study-abroad destination. According to NAFSA (Association of International Educators), 64.4% of American students chose Europe in the 2023 academic year. Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and France are traditional favorites. According to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the number of U.S. applicants to U.K. universities this year rose 14% from last year, the largest increase since related statistics began in 2006. By major, business and management (20%) and the social sciences (18%) were most popular. In Asia (9.4%), Japan and Korea have emerged as popular destinations.
The biggest reason American students turn their backs on home and go abroad is unaffordable tuition. According to the U.S. Congress, one in six Americans carries federal student loan debt. The aggregates of debt exceed $1.6 trillion (about 2,200 trillion won). Data released this month by the Education Data Initiative show that average student loan debt per American college graduate tops $37,000 (about 51 million won). For four-year public universities in the United States, the average ranges from $11,000 to $30,000 (about 15 million to 41 million won).
By contrast, average annual tuition at European and U.K. universities is about $9,000 (about 12 million won). Some public universities in European countries such as Germany and Norway do not charge tuition even to international students. Tuition at French public universities is in the low thousands of euros per year, far cheaper than not only American private universities but also public ones. Asian countries also generally pose a lighter tuition burden compared with U.S. universities.
Since the launch of the Trump administration's second term, rising uncertainty around diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on campuses has also been cited as a key reason American students are shunning domestic universities. Since April, the Trump administration has threatened to cancel federal subsidies—worth trillions of won per school—for major U.S. universities, including Harvard, over what it called their left-leaning policies. It has demanded, among other things, "ending DEI policies in admissions and staff hiring" and "strong penalties for students with anti-Israel leanings." Even Harvard, which runs the largest endowment in the United States, has struggled to withstand the financial pressure and is gradually changing campus policies to match those demands. The Guardian in the U.K., citing experts, said, "The current U.S. higher education situation is similar to 'the moment the Titanic sank,'" adding, "The American academic world, which has led global scholarship for decades, is on the verge of sinking."
Statistics that studying abroad positively affects careers after graduation are also fueling the "educational exodus." Research from the University of California, Merced found that 97% of students with study-abroad experience found jobs within 12 months of graduation. In contrast, the employment rate for students without such experience was 49%. Starting salaries were also about 25% higher for those who studied abroad. As more corporations value international experience, study-abroad credentials are becoming a key factor in the job market.
Citing data from Beyond the States, a U.S. study-abroad consulting firm, CBS reported that visits to the firm's website rose from about 600,000 in Nov. 2024 to about 1.53 million in Jul. 2025, after the 2024 presidential election. Over the same period, the number of consultations surged 1,226%, from 2,215 to 29,373. Quoting experts, CBS said, "In the past, only certain classes of students considered studying abroad, but now students with diverse backgrounds in the United States are inquiring about it."