WPI Named a Top 5 School for Study Abroad

While many colleges and universities offer study abroad programs, few provide international experiential learning opportunities to the extent Worcester Polytechnic Institute does. Among the nation’s leading doctoral universities, WPI has the fifth highest rate of undergraduate participation in study abroad programs. According to the Open Doors 2025 Report on International Educational Exchange, 933 U.S. students at WPI participated in a study abroad program for credit during the 2023–24 academic year. The report estimates that 84.8% of U.S. undergraduate students at WPI study abroad. This is the second straight year that WPI has ranked fifth in this measurement. While the Open Doors report tallies U.S. students who study outside the country, an even larger portion of all WPI students go off campus, abroad or in the U.S., for hands-on learning: 89% of WPI’s undergraduate class of 2025 participated in the university’s Global Projects Program, which offers students opportunities for long-term immersive learning experiences at more than 50 WPI project centers on six continents. “Our students don’t just study the world—they go out and engage with it. Being recognized again as a top university for study abroad underscores WPI’s long-standing commitment to immersive, global, project-based learning,” said WPI President Grace Wang. “Through the Global Projects Program, our students apply their knowledge and skills in real-world settings, collaborate with community partners, and create solutions that truly matter to the society. These experiences shape resilient, empathetic, collaborative, and globally minded leaders and innovators who are exceptionally well prepared to deal with the complexity and ambiguity in our interconnected world.” In addition to widespread student participation and a 50-year history of off-campus learning through the Global Projects Program, WPI also stands out for the way it conducts international learning. Students who study abroad aren’t just doing so in a classroom. They’re gaining experience and learning by doing, which is central to WPI’s project-based learning educational model. When WPI students go abroad, they develop critically important skills for their future success by working in teams and in partnership with community or industry sponsors to take on meaningful challenges. They conduct professional-level research into a specific issue and work toward implementing viable and sustainable solutions in the field. These hands-on project experiences allow students to leverage their STEM knowledge and approach problems from across disciplines. The goal of this approach is to help future scientists, engineers, and leaders in technology and business to better understand societal issues and the implications of their work by experiencing these issues firsthand, immersing themselves in communities around the world, and taking on unstructured problems. A 2021 survey of WPI alumni demonstrates how valuable these real-world learning experiences are for students. Among respondents who completed at least one of their required projects off campus: • 94% reported improved ability to work effectively on a team • 94% reported a positive impact in solving problems • 91% reported a positive impact on viewing issues from different perspectives • 89% felt their project work contributed to their ability to function effectively in the real world Open Doors, released Nov. 17 as part of International Education Week, is a comprehensive information resource on a variety of topics including international students and scholars, as well as students studying abroad for academic credit. The report is published by the nonprofit Institute of International Education with support from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.