UCSB’s Education Abroad Program recognized among nation’s best

Expanding their worldview and gathering class credits along the way, upward of 1,300 UC Santa Barbara students are projected to study across the globe this academic year — participants in a campus tradition that dates back more than six decades and ranks among the best nationwide. 

According to a recent report by the Institute of International Education (IIE), UCSB’s Education Abroad Program (EAP) ranks No. 1 among the ten University of California campuses, No. 8 among public research universities nationally and No. 16 out of all U.S. research universities for students studying abroad for a full academic year. The report also highlights UCSB’s leadership in mid-length duration programs; for students studying abroad for a semester or half-year, the campus ranked second in the UC system, 11th among public research universities and 18th among all research universities nationwide.

“UCSB has a long tradition of study abroad – sending its first students to the University of Bordeaux in 1962 – and it keeps protecting this important legacy,” said EAP Faculty Director Fabio Rambelli. While the rankings reflect institutional success, Rambelli added, the numbers also tell a story of community effort and philanthropic impact. He noted that the availability of scholarships has been instrumental in enabling students to commit to year-long immersions, which offer the deepest cultural and academic benefits.

“The success of our study abroad program is the result of many years of experience, but also of the support and collaboration from people from various units and departments on campus, and the encouragement provided by our students' parents,” Rambelli said. “I am also humbled by the dedication and professionalism of the team in our campus EAP office for the incredible outreach efforts they do on a daily basis.”

“We are all grateful,” he added, “to our generous donors, most of whom are past participants in EAP, for supporting the scholarships that make these transformative experiences accessible.”

The UCSB Education Abroad Program is located in room 2201 of the Student Affairs and Administrative Services Building (SAASB) and is open Mon-Thurs 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Fridays 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.