Where to study abroad? American college students’ choice of a study abroad destination: pre-college, college and program capital

Despite the position of the United States as a top destination for international student mobility and the advancement of research on study abroad decisions, little is known about how American college students choose a destination country for study abroad. Expanding the understanding of students’ choice of a study abroad destination can contribute to promoting study abroad and guiding college students’ study abroad decisions. Therefore, this study used qualitative data from multiple institutions and study abroad providers in the US to explore how study abroad participants choose a destination. The findings show that various forms of capital—cultural and social, linguistic, academic, and program capital, which can also be conceptualized as pre-college, college, and program capital—guided these destination choices. The findings suggest how higher education institutions can help students build such capital for their study abroad destination choices.