The 5 Best High School Study Abroad Programs for 2025

Are you a high school student dreaming about traveling or studying at a school in a foreign country? Are you wondering if high schoolers can even study abroad?

Well, the answer is yes! High school students absolutely can study abroad. In fact, there are programs designed specifically for high school students to gain international experience, make new friends, and fully immerse themselves in another country as a student at a high school abroad!

Although not all school districts in the US have high school exchange programs, there are several reputable, all-inclusive study abroad programs for high school students that are open to teens across the US.

Read on to find the right program for you!

High school exchange programs are worth it for both educational and personal growth. Here are some of the top benefits of doing an exchange abroad in high school.

• Increased confidence: You’ve lived abroad, traveled, and all in a foreign language before graduation. Nothing will do wonders for your confidence quite like spending a year abroad. It won’t always be easy but when it’s over, you can be proud of how much you accomplished.
• More independence: Being away from friends and family in a new country initially forces you to be independent. After a while though, independence will be something that comes naturally. If you’ve conquered this challenge, there’s nothing you can’t tackle!
• Improved language skills: Participating in a high school exchange in a country where the native language isn’t English means you’ll have the opportunity to quickly learn a new language! Not only will you be living with a local family, but you’ll also be studying every day in that language.
• Better cultural competency: You can become fluent in another language without leaving the US but the cultural nuances can only be learned abroad. Studying abroad in high school exposes you to another culture’s values, beliefs, and way of life. Every day is an exciting surprise when you live abroad.
• Clarity for future plans: If you study abroad as a junior or senior in high school, you’re probably acutely aware of the fact that college is just around the corner. Picking a major and a direction for your life is scary and overwhelming when you’re not quite sure what you want to do. The personal growth you experience during your high school exchange may just make your future goals and plans a bit clearer.

Have we sold you on pursuing a study abroad program for high schoolers? If so, check out these great options to make your high school years extra memorable!

Location: Cities across Europe: Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Swiss Alps, and more
Program length: 1 semester
Age range: students entering 11th and 12th grade
Starting from: $26,995.00 USD
What’s included: accommodation, meals, airfare, course credits, materials, in-country transportation, activities and excursions, entrance fees to attractions

✅ Pros:

• Europe is your classroom – learn in an immersive and authentic way while traveling through 12 different amazing cities.
• Earn high school credits in English, Social Science, and PE.

❌ Cons:

• Students will need to budget additional money to cover textbooks and daily lunches which are not included in the price.
• Flights depart from Toronto, so you may need to pay for additional flights if you’re not local to the area.

MEI Academy’s fall semester in Europe gives students a way to start their final years of high school with a bang. Spend 3.5 months living and breathing history, literature, and art across Europe. By the end of this whirlwind learning experience, you’ll have crossed Portugal, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland off your travel list. Visit iconic sites like St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, stroll down Las Ramblas in Barcelona, and trek through the breathtaking scenery in the Swiss Alps, staying in a variety of hotels, villas, and apartments along the way.

Instruction takes the form of immersive field trips, guest lectures, and masterclasses. Creative and travel writing assignments become a lot more fun with places like La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona as your muse!

With a 9:1 student-to-staff ratio, you’ll get personal attention while forming close bonds with your classmates. Some loved their fall experience so much that they signed up to continue in the spring! If you want to step outside the confines of the classroom next year, check out MEI to spend your fall jet-setting around Western Europe.

Location: Italy
Program length: 1 semester or full year
Age range: between 15-17 (cannot turn 18 while on program)
Starting from: $14,250 for a semester
What’s included: homestay, meals, orientation, school fees, roundtrip airfare, visa assistance, 24/7 support, secondary medical coverage

✅ Pros:

• A personal Italian tutor will help you perfect your language skills the first two or three months of your stay.
• Live with a local family who will warmly embrace you (and feed you!) in true Italian style.

❌ Cons:

• Due to Italian laws and medication regulations, students with severe allergies, strict dietary needs, a diagnosis of ADD/ADHD requiring medication, or those who have taken medication for mental health conditions in the past year are unable to participate. If any of these apply to you, AFS-USA can help you find the right program!
• You could be placed at a high school in a remote area so flexibility is key.

Live for a semester or academic year like an Italian teen with AFS-USA’s high school abroad in Italy program. You’ll attend a local Italian high school Monday through Saturday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. In your free time, you’ll enjoy activities and meals with your host family and hang out in the local area with your new Italian classmates and friends.

Placements are available at schools across Italy, including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, but you’ll need to be flexible in your preferences. Local study abroad chapters regularly arrange trips, parties, and activities that allow you to meet other exchange students around the area and spend more time with your host family.

As an exchange student, you will develop a greater sense of independence navigating a new culture, language, and school environment. Start brushing up on your Italian and prepare for an incredible semester or year. Don’t forget to check out AFS-USA’s high school abroad scholarships!

Location: Seville or Alicante, Spain
Program length: 11 (trimester), 19 (semester), or 38 (year) weeks
Age range: between 15-17 (can not turn 18 while on program)
Starting from: $13,750 for 11 weeks
What’s included: homestay, meals, orientation, school fees, weekend trips and activities, 24/7 support

✅ Pros:

• Past students felt CIEE’s programs were super supportive and well-organized.
• Tuition includes one day trip and one overnight trip. Past destinations included Cádiz, Granada, Córdoba, Madrid, and Valencia.

❌ Cons:

• This program is not beginner-friendly – you must have two years of Spanish study under your belt to participate.
• FYI, vegetarians and vegans: Spanish food is very meat-centric!

CIEE’s high school abroad in Spain program immerses you completely in the Spanish language and culture. If you want to catapult your proficiency well beyond the next level, spending a trimester, semester, or academic year in either Seville or Alicante is the way to go.

Live in a homestay and become part of the family while you attend classes at a public or private high school completely in Spanish. In your free time, CIEE arranges day trips and weekend trips across Spain that allow you to take in even more of this fabulous country.

Location: Spain
Program length: trimester, semester, or full year
Age range: 14-17
Starting from: $11,380 for a trimester
What’s included: homestay, meals, airport pickup and dropoff, medical insurance, visa assistance, orientation, 4 hours of Spanish tutoring, volunteer opportunities to earn service learning hours

✅ Pros:

• Your host family provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner so you can experience homecooked Spanish meals.
• Join the Greenheart Club to be connected with volunteer projects in your community. Earn credits and knock out your service learning hours in one trip!

❌ Cons:

• Neither Greenheart nor the high school abroad provides credit so you’ll have to make sure your home high school will accept this program for credit.
• You must be flexible about where you’re placed as Greenheart matches students with families based on shared interests.

Students from the US or Canada can take advantage of Greenheart Travel’s immersive high school abroad program in Spain. Before you leave, you’ll be matched with a host family with similar interests and hobbies to ensure the best fit. Once in Spain, you’ll be fully immersed in a local high school where your Spanish skills will soar. Greenheart recommends at least 2 years of Spanish study but stresses that you don’t need to be fluent. That’s what this experience is for!

If your high school has requirements for service learning hours, Greenheart gives students the opportunity to earn those hours through volunteerism while in Spain. Not only is this convenient but it allows you to engage with even more people in your local community and practice your language skills in new situations!

Location: France
Program length: trimester, semester, or academic year
Age range: 13-17
Starting from: $5,774 for a semester
What’s included: accommodation, meals, 24/7 support, visa assistance, school fees, orientation

✅ Pros:

• Never studied French? No problem! Nacel’s programs accommodate beginners by offering placements at English-speaking international schools.
• Even students who opt for the boarding school option still live with a French host family on the weekends.

❌ Cons:

• Study locations for absolute beginners are limited to Paris.
• The classic exchange allows students as young as 13 to participate but most others start at age 15.

Nacel Educational Travel has something for everyone in France! Choose from a classic high school exchange at a French school, live and study at a boarding school, or attend an English-speaking international school. Their program flexibility allows any student to study abroad in France regardless of language ability. Absolute beginners can take French language classes while taking major subjects in English. Students with at least 2 years of French study can integrate into French schools for full immersion.

Programs are available in locations across France, from Paris to the French Riviera. Regardless of the option you choose, you’ll be fully immersed in French culture, ensuring your language skills improve exponentially. Whether you end up in a public, private, or boarding school, you’ll have the opportunity to join clubs and activities that will allow you to make more friends and become a part of the school community.

If you’re not keen on traditional learning abroad through a high school exchange, there are plenty of other opportunities for high school students to spend meaningful time abroad.

• Abbey Road: summer language and culture immersion programs in France, Italy, and Spain
• Travel For Teens: service learning and summer abroad travel programs for high schoolers in Thailand, Costa Rica, France, Iceland, and more
• Where There Be Dragons: service learning, language and cultural immersion, and experiential learning in Nepal, Guatemala, Peru, Senegal, India, Cambodia, and more
• Global Works: language immersion and service learning projects in Ecuador, Peru, France, Fiji, Costa Rica, and more
• EF languages: summer language camps in Spain, France, and Germany

For even more ideas, check out our articles about summer travel programs and language immersion programs for high schoolers.

The price tags of high school abroad programs can be hefty but there are funding opportunities to take advantage of. Scholarships and grants for high schoolers interested in studying abroad through an exchange, immersion trip, or experiential learning program can cover some or all of your costs.

Be sure to check with your program directly, too! Many have awards to help defray the costs.

Study abroad programs for high schoolers are an amazing way to see the world, meet new people from diverse backgrounds, and earn class credit – all at the same time. Even though it may seem intimidating to set off on your own, the potential benefits and memories outweigh any moments of homesickness. Take a chance and spend a semester or year abroad in 2025!