Open Minds
Study abroad can be life-changing, but the effect of such experience is hard to measure. This research examines the causal link between study abroad and global perspectives. With data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)'s basic survey and the global perspectives module, this study uses factor analysis to create a comprehensive index and then estimates causal effects by matching students who studied abroad during college to those who did not, based on their propensity to study abroad. Key findings are 1) institution type and student's major make difference in participation rate; 2) study abroad induces a positive, statistically significant but small impact on student global perspectives; 3) such positive impact is consistent across ethnic groups. Yet, there is no clear indication of the mechanism through which these effects may operate. Future research could employ qualitative research methods to understand the mechanism and complement the findings of this research.