The Abroad101 survey has placed Cape Town at number 10 behind London, Paris, Barcelona, Sydney, Florence, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Prague and Copenhagen

Cape Town is the 10th most popular destination for students from the United States to study abroad, a survey has found.

The Abroad101 survey has placed Cape Town at number 10 behind London, Paris, Barcelona, Sydney, Florence, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Prague and Copenhagen, the Cape Times reported.

Manager for foreign admissions at the University of the Western Cape, Hilda Andrews, said that most of its international students came through partnerships with other universities.

Students were also attracted to courses through work experiences, compatible with their fields of study, to UWC’S history and it’s focus areas.

University of Cape Town spokeswoman Gerda Kruger, said international students, particularly those from the US, chose the university for its Semester Study Abroad programme, seeking adventure, learning about other cultures and to develop academically.

“The largest group are white, female and American,” Kruger told the newspaper.

She said the top reasons students came to UCT was its location in Cape Town, its strong academics, recommendations, it being an English-language institution, volunteer/extracurricular activities and it’s support services for foreign students.

Senior director of Stellenbosch University’s international office, Robert Kotze, said international students were attracted to the university’s safe and multicultural environment. There were several opportunities for students to get involved in  social projects in areas like Kayamandi by teaching and coaching sport.