ASAPI Releases Economic Impact Study

Understanding U.S. Study Abroad in Ireland: Economic impact and future possibilities was launched today by Mary Mitchell O'Connor TD, Minister of State for Higher Education. Key findings of the report, produced by Southern Cross Consulting and commissioned by the Association of Study Abroad Providers in Ireland and Education in Ireland, include:

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  • Close to 12,000 US students a year choose Ireland as a study abroad destination

  • Commonly cited reasons for choosing Ireland include: English language, ease of travel to Europe, safety, friendliness, culture, ancestry, and an understandable, “well aligned” academic system

  • The US study abroad sector in Ireland contributes €220M to the Irish economy each year as a combination of direct, induced, and indirect spending

  • The study abroad sector directly supports 187 jobs in Ireland, and indirectly supports a further 261 jobs, for a total of 448 full-time jobs

  • The study projects that if student growth continues at it’s current rate, within five years the sector will support 667 jobs

  • Ireland has the highest US study abroad population per capita

  • US students rate their overall experience of Ireland highly - the only area with significant dissatisfaction is cost of living, though Ireland is comparatively competitive with other European destinations

The report poses several questions and challenges to the sector on how best to sustain and manage the growth of the sector, including building on the established success of North-South cooperation in international education, diversifying locations to include smaller urban and rural areas, developing creative cooperative models to respond to the growing demand for internships, and ensuring that the diverse range of subject options beyond arts and humanities are communicated to potential students.

Summary

Full Report