Portugal Hits Historic High in U.S. Study Abroad Students

Portugal Reaches Historic High in U.S. Study Abroad Students in 2023/24, According to Open Doors 2025

Portugal recorded its highest number ever of U.S. study abroad students in the 2023/24 academic year, approaching 2,000 participants, according to the Open Doors 2025 report. With this increase, Portugal now ranks #11 in Europe among destinations chosen by American students.

The Open Doors data, produced by the Institute of International Education (IIE) with support from the U.S. Department of State, shows that 298,180 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit in 2023/24, reflecting continued growth in global student mobility.

In Portugal, the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) — created in 2014 by the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) — remains one of the structured programs facilitating the arrival of U.S. students. According to publicly available FLAD reports, the program has welcomed more than 1,700 American students since its launch.

These new Open Doors figures confirm a continued upward trend in the number of U.S. students choosing Portugal over recent academic years.

Full data available at:
Open Doors 2025 – Leading Destinations
https://opendoorsdata.org/data/us-study-abroad/leading-destinations/