Research from the past ten years has been compiled to show that students who study abroad have improved academic performance, higher graduation rates and improved knowledge of cultural practices and context upon returning to their home campus compared to students in control groups.

The findings from the Georgia  Learning Outcomes of Students Studying Abroad Research Initiative, GLOSSARI, compared graduation rates and grade point averages for 19,109 study abroad students, from across the 35-institution University System of Georgia state system, which includes community colleges, research universities and institutions in between. The study also included a control group of 17,903 students selected to match the institution, semester of study and class standing of the students who’d studied abroad.

If you’re interested, read further details of the research here.