Study Abroad: Israel is rising to the top of the list of destinations to study overseas

The Israeli Council for Higher Education estimates that every year, 12,000 study abroad aspirants choose Israel as their overseas education destination. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic increased interest in Israel as a study abroad destination, in contrast to other countries’ diminishing enrollment of overseas students. 

The pandemic caused the majority of students to study remotely, depriving them of the advantages of an in-person college experience including networking opportunities and a lively social life. 

The global trend of study abroad aspirants’ enrollment rates reflects this change. According to Boundless, the number of active M-1 and F-1 students at U.S. colleges has decreased by 18% from its pre-pandemic level. Between October 2019 and October 2021, there were 54% fewer international students in Australia than there were in the previous year. In Japan, the number of study abroad aspirants enrolled fell by 13.3% over the same two years. 

In Germany, the number of occasional students—those with an undergraduate degree who enroll in further courses or carry out research for non-academic objectives in a particular nation—decreased by 26% between the winter semesters of 2019–20 and 2021–22.

Israel, meanwhile, observes the inverse pattern. For 20 years prior to the pandemic, only 5% of students taking a gap year in Israel opted to continue their education there. The percentage now stands at 20%.

Study abroad aspirants can expand their perspectives and step outside of their comfort zones while receiving a lower cost education by coming to Israel. A degree in Israel often costs less than $5,000 per year, compared to up to $75,000 in annual college tuition in the United States.

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