This entry discusses programs that support, encourage or administer International Student Mobility (ISM). According to the definition from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE, 2004), ISM is “any form of international mobility which takes place within a student’s programme of study in higher education”. ISM programs can refer to supporting outbound students (outward mobility) as well as incoming students from abroad (inward mobility). Students planning a spell abroad can either plan and organize their stay independently (as what are called free movers) or via a student exchange program.

This entry begins by providing an overview of patterns of student mobility, and then describes the role of student mobility programs. ISM includes both short-term study abroad visits as well as long-term study abroad stays for entire degree programs. This entry emphasizes study abroad as a part of a student’s higher education studies (often referred to as credit mobility), rather than completing an entire degree program abroad (degree mobility). In the following, the challenges of evaluating the effect of study abroad programs on subsequent outcomes are discussed. The introduction of the ERASMUS program is considered in light of research that has been undertaken using the launch and growth of the program as opportunities to examine and understand the effects of study abroad participation. The entry discusses the role of student exchanges on subsequent international mobility choices, as well as on subsequent labor market outcomes. It concludes by addressing some key open questions in this area.