U.S. Students Studying Abroad in Africa

More than 241,000 American students studied at foreign institutions of higher education during the 2006-07 academic year. This was an increase of 8.2 percent from a year earlier. A vast majority of Americans studying abroad (57.4 percent) attended universities in Europe. Of all U.S. students studying abroad, 10,066, or 4.2 percent, attended universities in Africa. The number of American students studying in Africa has increased 19 percent over the previous year. Africa sends more than three times as many students to American universities as America sends to African universities.

Of the 10,066 Americans studying in Africa, 1,654, or 16.5 percent, were studying in the northern African nations of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Among black African nations, South Africa was the most popular destination. In 2006-07, 3,216 American students studied in South Africa. This was up by 28 percent from a year earlier. Ghana hosted 1,645 American students in the 2006-07 academic year. Kenya, Tanzania, Senegal, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi, Cameroon, and Uganda were the only other black African nations hosting more than 100 American college students.

Of the 241,791 American students studying abroad in all areas of the globe, 3.8 percent were African Americans. In 1997 African Americans were also 3.8 percent of all American students studying abroad.