A study abroad program is a great opportunity to take your learning outside of the classroom while still earning college credits inside the classrooom.

And the most popular study abroad destination has been Western Europe, particularly the U.K.

But now, less and less students are visiting the Tate Museum and eating fish n’ chips during their semester or year abroad.

That’s because many college students are steering clear of the UK and other parts of Western Europe and opting for study-abroad programs in Asia, Africa and Latin-America.

Why?

Over the past two years, the dollar, while up a bit from recent lows, has lost more than 20% of its value against the euro and about 6% against the pound. So students get more bang for their buck in alternative destinations.  Many of these destinations are cheaper to begin with and have currencies that haven’t been as rough on the dollar.

Students would rather be able to afford good food and nice accomodations than survive off of cheese and baguette for a few months.

A semester in Rome with the program next fall runs about $14,900 for tuition, room and board, for example, while a similar program in San Jose, Costa Rica, is less than $8,000.

But the trend away from Western European cities as study abroad destinations began even before the dollar plummeted. In the 2005-6 school year there was a 5% or less increase in the number of students who studied in the U.K., Italy, Spain, France and Australia. That compares to growth of 31% in the Middle East; 26% in Asia, 19% in Africa and 14% in Latin America.

Students have become more interested in learning about different cultures  and the shifting global economy has placed countries like China, India and the Middle East on the map. Africa and South America have also become trendier alternatives to traditional European programs.

Wherever you choose, the study abroad program helps history and culture fly off the textbook and become part of your real life learning experience.