| Abstract | The importance of studying abroad in an increasingly globalized world has been well established. Despite the established benefits that study abroad programs provide, the United States produces a low percentage of students that actually travel abroad. As many as 55% of students indicate that they want to or plan to study abroad when entering college, but less than 3% of undergraduate students actually follow through on that commitment. Previous research has extensively focused on the financial reasons students decide not to study abroad and has touched on the effect of social pressures on this decision but does not exclusively study the combined effect that parents, friends, professors, and significant others have on students' decisions to study abroad. Because undergraduate students are at a stage in their lives where their brains are still developing, they are much more susceptible to social pressures. The increased effect of social pressures on undergraduate students could partially explain why so many students say they will study abroad, and then change their minds. This study attempts to determine the effects that parents, friends, professors, and significant others have on an undergraduate students' decision to study abroad and where universities' marketing programs are underperforming. Using the findings, this study will make recommendations to universities on how they can better reach their students and better tailor their study abroad marketing programs towards students, and in turn, increase the number of participants in study abroad programs. |
