The town of McMinnville, Oregon, may seem like an unlikely launch pad for international studies. Yet Linfield University has a decades-long history of robust study abroad programs.
It offers the option of a semester or year in 15 countries from Australia to Ecuador and Hong Kong to Norway, and offers unique interdisciplinary faculty-led off-campus courses. it
Oregon as a whole has slightly more study abroad participants than average, at 1.91% of its college students compared to 1.68% nationally.
At Linfield’s McMinnville campus, that number has exceeded 30% in the past—and Linfield is seeing steady increases in interest again after a decline due to the pandemic. The current number of applicants for a semester or year abroad in 2026-27 would be an 84% increase from 2025-26.
The strong numbers trace back to the International Programs Office, whose staff connect into everyday campus life with the goal of expanding access to international programs, especially for first-generation college attendees and minority students, who are underrepresented in study abroad compared to their levels of postsecondary enrollment.
Ensuring equitable study abroad access
Linfield takes pride in cultivating multidimensional leaders who value deep connection and are prepared for many possible futures. Students who study abroad tend to develop competencies related to these values, including curiosity, relationship-building, tolerance of ambiguity, and resilience.
Linfield reinforces its commitment to global learning by paying the first round-trip airfare for full-time undergraduate students who study abroad, helping remove a key financial barrier for many participants.
This investment has long-term benefits. According to national surveys, students who studied abroad earn on average $4,159 more in their first job after graduation than those who did not.
The International Programs Office also addresses the potential barrier of extracurricular sports schedules by working closely with faculty and coaches to ensure student-athletes can participate in study abroad.
Faculty-led deep dives and capstone courses
Since the 1980s, Linfield has offered a unique option called January Term: faculty-led interdisciplinary courses. Kevin Curry, now an associate professor of journalism and media studies, experienced a January Term course in Turkey and Greece with a religion professor as a Linfield undergraduate.
In January 2025, Curry and associate professor Sarah Coste took students to Japan for a deep dive into discoveries and innovations related to food palatability, nutritional health, and physical activity, such as the discovery of the taste umami and the development of the first pedometer.
They will lead the off-campus course again in 2027—and students are already showing interest. Applications for this and other January Term courses increased by 57% over the previous year for January Term 2026.
Europe hosts nearly two-thirds of U.S. students who study abroad, concentrated in just five countries: Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.
Additionally, January Term options include:
- A theater course exploring the connections among story, culture, identity, and history in South Africa.
- wine course comparing the concept of terroir in the Willamette and Loire valleys.
- A nursing course in Thailand studying traditional and modern healthcare as impacted by history, economy, politics, culture and religion.
Some of Linfield’s study abroad options are woven directly into degree programs, such as the International Capstone course for an M.S. in business. Students engage in two consulting projects with clients, one virtual (Brand Storytelling) and one in person in Barcelona (Design City Challenge).
In 2025, these graduate business students worked with es-imperfect, a company that reduces food waste, on ways the company could grow and replicate its model.
Unpacking new skills and perspectives
Research indicates that students studying abroad often experience competency growth in developmental stages, from feeling stretched by the novelty, to reaching out and connecting, and finally to gaining confidence through persistence.
Linfield prepares students for this progression—and other practical matters like daily spending on necessities, navigating public transportation, and local student life — with a one-credit pre-orientation, orientation, and returnee course. In surveys after their return, the number one skill students say they have gained is problem-solving.
However, the changes often go far deeper. Ernesto Ravadan, who studied abroad in the fall of 2025, said, “Being surrounded by students from different countries strengthened my listening skills and taught me how to navigate cultural differences with patience and understanding. Living in Liverpool with students from Australia, Portugal, Germany, and Slovakia showed me how culture influences communication, time management, and social habits.”
Hearing from students like Ravadan helps perpetuate the normalcy of studying abroad. Once students’ interest is piqued, Linfield stands ready to send them off for what we hope will be the first of many international learning adventures.
