Question

What are the three key success factors of studying abroad in Colombia?

Answer 1

U.S. colleges and universities remain the preferred overseas destination for Colombian students, despite significant competition from other countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Spain, France and Argentina. There are several factors that make the United States a leading destination, chief among them higher employment opportunities after graduation, the high quality of education, the chance to improve English skills, and a renewed push by the Government of Colombia to encourage English bilingualism. Furthermore, Colombian businesses are increasing their presence and operations in the United States and bolstering the need not just for English speakers, but for Colombians with actual living experience in the United States and knowledge of U.S. business practices and American culture in general. The preferred states for Colombian students are California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Illinois and Florida. The fields of studies in most demand are those focused on business administration, management, finance, banking, marketing, and engineering.
According to the Institute of International Education, Colombia is ranked 22nd in the world and third among South American Countries (after Brazil and Venezuela) in sending students to the United States. As the peace process solidifies in Colombia and the country becomes more stable and prosperous, the United States is in a good position to see a potential increase in Colombian students.

There were 7,982 Colombians who traveled to the United States to study in academic year 2016/17, a 2.1 percent increase over the previous year. Colombian students in the U.S. are divided between graduate and undergraduate levels as follows:

Post-secondary Colombian Students in the U.S.
Undergraduate 40%
Graduate 39%
Optional Practical Training 12%
Other 9%
Based on data from the Institute of International Education, Colombian students in U.S. colleges and universities contributed USD 273 million to the U.S. economy in the 2016/17 academic year.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogota supports efforts to increase the number of Colombian students studying in the United States by supporting technology projects such as Ed, a 24/7 virtual adviser in Spanish, and various micro scholarships for English Language studies.  
Additionally, the “100,000 Strong in the Americas” innovation fund seeks to increase the number of Latin American students studying in the United States and the number of U.S. students studying in Latin America. Partnerships between universities in the United States and higher education institutions in the Western Hemisphere are increasing the student exchange opportunities and strengthening regional education cooperation throughout the Americas.
Under government-to-government or private agreements, both public and private universities in Colombia have developed partnerships with universities in the United States, Europe and Latin America. Priority is given to post-graduate programs for training professors as well as research to enhance teaching.
The U.S. Commercial Service, in cooperation with Education USA offices in Colombia, supports various education fairs that include the participation of U.S. boarding schools, universities and ESL institutions, in order to promote their programs in Colombia.
With the global job market becoming increasingly competitive, the number of Colombian undergraduate and graduate students in the United States has being growing over the past four academic years. This is partially due to the fact that in Colombia it is difficult to obtain a high level position within the government or an important national or multinational company without proficient English skills and/or a master’s degree. Most scholarships are awarded through two institutions, one of which is the Colombian Institute for Educational Loans and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX by its initials in Spanish), which is dedicated to financing higher education through a system of financial aid that allows students to start or continue their higher education either in country or abroad. In 2016 ICETEX awarded 249 scholarships for master’s degrees, PhD, and ESL programs in the U.S. The second institution is COLFUTURO, which is a non-profit organization that provides funds to Colombian professionals and students to study abroad. Their loan program is available to students who have been accepted to graduate programs at foreign universities. During 2016 COLFUTURO awarded 1,258 scholarships for masters and PhD programs. 267 of those scholarships were for programs in the United States.