Reports

This page houses all of the Research Initiative’s reports with the most recent report listed first.

Understanding Study Abroad Discourses at U.S. Community Colleges

As open-access institutions, community colleges play a critical role in international education by creating opportunities for students from marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds to participate in study abroad programs. One way that community colleges communicate information about study abroad programs is through institutional websites, which serve as valuable tools for identifying discourses and narratives around program design and positioning. This report provides an overview of a recent analysis of community college study abroad webpages that explored how programs are described, how narratives about study abroad complement or conflict with one another, and what critical elements are missing from narratives surrounding study abroad. (released June 2026)

Community College Characteristics and International Education Opportunities: Which Colleges are Most Likely to Provide Access?

Community colleges are critical facilitators of global learning experiences for their students. While the Research Initiative’s previous work documented the extent to which various approaches to international education are present in the community college sector, it did not examine characteristics of community colleges that are more or less likely to engage in various international education approaches. This report provides this information with particular reference to colleges’ curricular focus, institutional finances, and enrollment. (released March 2026)

Financial Support for Community College Study Abroad: Strategies and Participation

Study abroad has often been recognized as a high impact learning practice, yet students often cite affordability as their reason for not pursuing these international experiences. Funding limitations are particularly relevant in the community college context, where broad access to international education is a core value. This report documents how community colleges financially support study abroad participation and explores possible associations between financial support models for study abroad and student participation. (released December 2025)

International Education at U.S. Community Colleges: Evidence from the 2024-25 Academic Year

Despite its importance in educating a large number of postsecondary students in the United States, community colleges are often marginalized or absent from broader international education conversations, which tend to focus on the four-year university or liberal arts college contexts. This report, based on data collected as part of our Mapping Community College International Education project, counters narratives of marginalization and offers a general overview of the extent to which US community colleges are engaged in international education. (released August 2025)