Best questions for student survey about study abroad opportunities

Here are some of the best questions for a student survey about study abroad opportunities, along with practical tips for crafting them. You can use Specific to build your survey in seconds and get actionable feedback from students.

Best open-ended questions for student survey about study abroad opportunities

We always include open-ended questions when we want genuine, detailed stories straight from students—especially for topics as personal as studying abroad. These questions invite richer, more authentic insights than ticking boxes, making them perfect at the beginning or end of a survey or as follow-ups. Open-ended questions help uncover what really matters, what might be missing, or surprising motivations behind student interest in global experiences. Here are the 10 best open-ended questions to use:

1. What most excites you about the possibility of studying abroad?

2. What are your biggest concerns or challenges related to studying abroad?

3. How do you think a study abroad experience might impact your future goals or career?

4. Can you describe any experiences you’ve had interacting with students from other countries?

5. What would encourage you to apply for a study abroad program?

6. What support or information do you wish you had before considering study abroad opportunities?

7. How might studying abroad help you understand your own culture and values?

8. What are your expectations from a study abroad program (academically, culturally, personally)?

9. Which countries or regions are you most interested in and why?

10. If you have studied abroad or know someone who has, what was the most valuable takeaway?

Open questions like these are key for surfacing unexpected insights and identifying what support or encouragement students may need. According to research, 98% of students felt that studying abroad significantly improved their understanding of their own cultural values and biases—underscoring why it's smart to ask about both anticipation and reflection. [2]

Best single-select multiple-choice questions for student survey about study abroad opportunities

Sometimes students find it easier to get started with simpler questions. Single-select multiple-choice questions are perfect when we want to quantify preferences, compare attitudes, or simply break the ice. They're also ideal when we want quick stats for decision-making or program evaluation—and they often spark a conversation for later open-ended or follow-up questions.

Here are three examples:

Question: Have you ever considered applying for a study abroad program?

• Yes, I have applied

• Yes, I am considering it

• No, not interested

Question: What is your biggest motivation for studying abroad?

• Exploring a new culture

• Improving language skills

• Career or academic development

• Personal growth

• Other

Question: Which barrier most prevents you from applying?

• Financial constraints

• Concerns about safety

• Lack of information

• Family commitments

• Uncertainty about academic credit transfer

When to follow up with "why?" Use a "why" prompt after a single-select question when you want to better understand the reasoning behind a choice. For example, if a student selects "Personal growth" as their main motivation, follow up with, "Can you share more about what type of personal growth you hope to achieve?" This often leads to unexpected, actionable feedback.

When and why to add the "Other" choice? Always consider adding "Other" when you suspect your provided answers might not cover every perspective. A follow-up for those selecting "Other" often uncovers new trends, barriers, or opportunities you hadn't considered.

NPS question for a student survey about study abroad opportunities

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a proven way to measure a student’s overall sentiment—how likely they are to recommend study abroad programs to friends. When it comes to student survey about study abroad opportunities, an NPS question helps us benchmark overall perception, track improvement over time, and identify student promoters who may become ambassadors for future cohorts.

NPS questions are easy for students to answer (with a 0–10 scale), and you can pair them with automated follow-up: if a score is low, ask what could be improved; if it’s high, ask what made it great. You can generate a ready-to-use student NPS survey about study abroad opportunities in seconds with Specific.

The power of follow-up questions

We believe meaningful insights come when a survey becomes a conversation. Automated AI follow-up questions ensure nothing gets lost in translation—they dig deeper, clarify vague answers, and surface context that would otherwise require endless emails.

• Student: "I’m worried about getting credit for courses taken abroad."

• AI follow-up: "Can you share more about your concerns with academic credit transfer? Is there specific information that would make you feel more confident?"

How many followups to ask? Two or three smart, contextual follow-ups are usually enough to reach the heart of an issue, while letting respondents move on quickly if they feel they’ve made their point. With Specific, you can configure follow-up depth and skip logic so students never feel interrogated—just listened to.

This makes it a conversational survey. It doesn’t just collect answers, but creates a flow that feels personal and human.

Analyzing survey responses with AI is a breeze. Even with open text or multiple languages, you can summarize, categorize, and even ask AI follow-up questions about the results to quickly find what matters.

Try generating a survey and watch how automated follow-ups lead to clarity and action—this is a new way to capture student voices in their own words.

How to prompt ChatGPT for great student survey questions about study abroad opportunities

AI can help us brainstorm incredible survey questions—but your results will always be better if you give more detail about your situation, goals, and what you hope to learn. Try prompting like this:

Prompt 1 – Simple brainstorm:

Suggest 10 open-ended questions for student survey about study abroad opportunities.

But you’ll get richer, more tailored questions if you describe your context. For example:

I work at a university international office. We want to increase student participation in our study abroad programs. Suggest 10 open-ended questions for a student survey to understand current barriers and motivations.

Once you have your base questions, ask ChatGPT to organize them by theme for easy editing:

Look at the questions and categorize them. Output categories with the questions under them.

Now, focus on the themes that matter most for your goals. For example:

Generate 10 questions for the categories Motivations and Barriers to Adoption.

What is a conversational survey?

A conversational survey is an interactive way to collect feedback—one that feels more like a chat, less like a digital questionnaire. With AI, we can build a survey that adapts to the student, follows up in real time, and captures details traditional forms often miss. The result is higher quality data and more engagement, because the interaction feels natural, respectful, and even enjoyable.

Here’s a quick comparison:

AI survey examples go way beyond a static form—they are adaptive, insightful, and easier for students and teams alike.

Why use AI for student surveys? AI-generated, conversational surveys instantly adjust to each respondent, making the entire process smoother for creators and more engaging for students. The feedback we collect reflects real needs and experiences, not just what fits a checkbox. The AI survey builder from Specific gives you best-in-class user experience, from survey design through deep analysis—no coding or research background required.

See this study abroad opportunities survey example now

Explore how conversational AI surveys deliver richer, actionable insights for student study abroad opportunities. Start gathering smart, structured feedback—and discover what truly matters to your students today.