Northfield, Minn.––Carleton College ranks first for students participating in a mid-length study abroad experience, according to a recent report by the Institute of International Education (IIE).

Carleton sent 402 students on study abroad experiences of this type in 2007-08, according to the IIE’s Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange.

“At Carleton, students are advised and encouraged to deepen their academic off-campus studies experience through different types of cross-cultural exploration,” Helena Kaufman, director of off-campus studies, said. “Our off-campus studies programming provides services, resources, and opportunities for students who are interested in expanding their liberal-arts learning beyond the campus and the classroom.”

In the mid-length duration study abroad category, Carleton tops the list. College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University (Minn.) was second with 386 students, followed by Colgate University (367), Lewis and Clark College (341) and Skidmore College (315). Macalester College was the third Minnesota College in the top 20 with 246 students.

Kaufman pointed to the various ways the College supports students to experience learning away from the Northfield campus, specifically in an international setting. “Several Carleton initiatives, such as the service internship in international development and the Newman Language Internship, support students interested in interning and volunteering abroad,” she said. “These opportunities help students develop a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of culture and build confidence in cross-cultural and research skills that encourage a more independent type of exploration.”

The data presented in the annual Open Doors report is obtained each year through surveys sent to about 2,800 accredited U.S. institutions. The Institute of International Education has conducted an annual census of international students in the United States since its founding in 1919. The report has been published as Open Doors since 1954, and began receiving support from the United States Information Agency, now the Department of State, in the early 1970s.

The entire report from IIE is available on the web at http://opendoors.iienetwork.org/page/150807/.