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Ireland Increases in Popularity for U.S. Students Studying Abroad
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| Education in Ireland - US Ambassodors |
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Education in Ireland, an Enterprise Ireland initiative that promotes higher education study opportunities in Ireland, announced today that new statistics indicate a jump in Ireland’s popularity as a study abroad destination among U.S. students.
For the school year 2011/2012, Ireland saw a 9% increase in the number of U.S. students coming to the country to study, according to the Open Doors Report, an annual survey conducted by the Institute of International Education providing information about study abroad trends. The report ranks Ireland as the ninth most popular study destination overall for U.S. students. Ireland’s increase outpaced the overall growth in students studying abroad – pegged at 3.4% by the report.
Data collection and analysis performed independently by Education in Ireland confirms the increase and projects the trend to continue for the 2013/2014 school year. Of particular note, Education in Ireland data shows a major increase – a 55% jump from the 2012/2013 to 2013/2014 school year -- in the number of U.S. post-graduate students coming to Ireland for post-graduate degree work and research.
'We attribute our growing popularity to a number of factors,' said Michelle Dervan, U.S. manager for Education in Ireland in Enterprise Ireland. 'Ireland’s universities and colleges offer unique academic programs that can be highly cost competitive when compared to U.S. education costs, particularly at the post graduate levels. Many students report to us that their overseas study experiences– both on campus and off – gives them global perspective and a hiring advantage after graduation. And certainly, students appreciate the easy access that Ireland provides to other parts of Europe." Dervan also credited Ireland’s increased popularity to a range of new promotional programs designed to heighten U.S. student awareness, including a highly regarded student ambassador program.'
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