Terminology
Below are definitions of student mobility terms used by Project Atlas.
Project Atlas®
International (or internationally mobile) students: Students who undertake all or part of their higher education experience in a country other than their home country or who travel across a national boundary to a country other than their home country to undertake all or part of their higher education experience.
Number of Students Abroad: In general, the number of students from a particular country who leave the country to study abroad either for short- or long-term durations of study at the higher education level; defined by each data source (see specific data sources for details).
Number of Tertiary Institutions: This data reflects the number of higher education institutions in a given country; provided by data sources, where available.
Top Host Destinations: The list of top host countries is based on the percent of global market share and based on data provided by data-contributing partners. The list is also cross-referenced against UNESCO and OECD data.
Undergraduate Degree/Qualification students: Those studying abroad toward a degree or qualification awarded by an accredited higher education institution (e.g. B.A., B.S.)
Undergraduate Study Abroad/Non-award study students: Those enrolled in undergraduate courses abroad but not pursuing a degree or qualification from an institution; students participating in short-term study abroad programs; exchange students.
(Post-)Graduate Degree/Qualification students: Those studying toward a degree or qualification awarded by an institution in your country (e.g. M.A., M.S., Ph.D.)
(Post-)Graduate Degree/Qualification coursework students: Those enrolled in graduate courses abroad but not pursuing a degree or qualification from an institution; students participating in short-term study abroad programs; exchange students
Business and Management: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Personal and Culinary Services; Tourism and related courses
Engineering: Engineering; Engineering Technologies/Technicians; Transportation and Materials Moving; Construction Trades; Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians; Precision Production
Physical and Life Sciences: Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Physical Sciences; Science Technologies/ Technicians
Social Sciences: Social Sciences; Psychology; Public Administration and Social Service Professions; Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies; Area, Ethnic, Cultural, and Gender Studies; History; Security and Protective Services
Mathematics and Computer Sciences: Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services; Mathematics and Statistics
Fine and Applied Arts: Visual and Performing Arts; Music; Architecture and Related Services
Health Professions: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Dietetics and Nutrition, Mental Health, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Alternative Medicine, Chiropractic, Podiatry, Medical Assistants and Laboratory Technicians, Public Health
Education: Teacher Education, Educational Administration, Student Counseling
Humanities: Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; English Language and Literature/Letters; Theology and Religious Vocations; Philosophy and Religious Studies
Agriculture: Agriculture, Agricultural Operations, and Related Sciences; Natural Resources and Conservation
Other/Unspecified: Liberal Arts and Sciences and General Studies; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; Legal Professions and Studies; Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies; Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences/ Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services; Library Sciences; Residency Programs
Sources of Data
Global
- United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics
- Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- EdStats (World Bank)
European Union
Assessment and Testing Data
- College Board
- Graduate management Admissions Council (GMAC)
- Educational Testing Services (ETS)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Centers and Organizations
- American Councils on Education
- Boston College Center for International Higher Education
- Brookings Institute: Center for Universal Education
- Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE)
- The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education
- Center for International Higher Education
- African Network for Internationalization of Education
- Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of New York
- National Association of International Educators (NASFA)
- International Association of Universities
- The Cross-Border Education Research Team (C-BERT) at SUNY
Key Events