Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of State is pleased to announce the inaugural list of U.S. higher education institutions that sent the most students overseas on the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program in academic year 2016-2017. The list recognizes the institutions that made international study and internships more accessible and inclusive for the highest number of American students of all backgrounds through the Gilman Program.

The State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in collaboration with the Institute of International Education, compiles the list, organized by institution size and type.

Topping this year’s list of four-year institutions sending the highest number of Gilman Scholars abroad are Spelman College (GA), Georgetown University (DC), and University of California, Berkeley (CA). Portland Community College (OR) topped the list of associate’s colleges.

Top producing institutions are highlighted for their success in sending the most first-generation college students, racial or ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, and students studying in STEM fields. Institutions that sent the most Gilman Scholars to the largest number of different overseas destinations also receive recognition for their role in broadening geographical diversity in study abroad.

For a full list of the institutions by category, please visit the Gilman Scholarship website at https://www.GilmanScholarship.org .

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, with the support of the U.S. Congress, is reshaping study abroad to make it more accessible and inclusive for American students. The Gilman Program broadens the U.S. student population studying and interning abroad by providing scholarships to outstanding undergraduates who, due to financial constraints, might not otherwise participate. Since the program’s establishment in 2001, over 1,300 U.S. institutions have sent more than 25,000 Gilman scholars to 145 countries around the globe.