The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is proud to announce the 20th anniversary of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Throughout its 20-year history, the Department of State's Gilman Program has reshaped study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students by providing scholarships to outstanding U.S. undergraduate students who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. Since the program's inception in 2001, more than 34,000 Gilman Scholars from all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories have studied or interned in more than 155 countries around the globe.
Today Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Ethan Rosenzweig recognized the Gilman Program's Top Producing Institutions, announced at this year's Diversity Abroad conference, as the U.S. colleges and universities that have sent the most Gilman Scholars abroad over the past two decades. These institutions were recognized for their support of equity, diversity, and accessibility in study abroad for American students through the Gilman Program. The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the lists, which are organized by institution size and degree-awarding category.
Based on 20 years of data, the top 20 institutions are being honored across four categories: small, medium, and large institutions, as well as associate degree granting institutions. Colleges and universities in 27 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, are represented, as are 33 Minority Serving Institutions. Topping the lists of four-year institutions that sent the most U.S. students abroad on the Gilman Program over the past 20 years are Spelman College (GA), George Washington University (DC), and the University of California, Berkeley (CA). Portland Community College (OR) topped the list of two-year institutions.
As the recent Department of State and Department of Education Joint Statement of Principles in Support of International Education noted, "All Americans need to be equipped with global and cultural competencies to navigate the ever-changing landscapes of education, international business, scientific discovery and innovation, and the global economy."
