Within the span of four years, the number of Israeli university students pursuing degrees at mostly prestigious schools outside Israel has risen drastically.
According to official figures issued by the Central Bureau of Statistics, 2017 saw a 26.2% increase in the number of Israelis studying abroad, amounting to a record-breaking 33,073 students who left Israel to pursue higher education.
For the sake of comparison, in 2013, 26,215 Israelis were enrolled in foreign universities.
Of the students pursuing degrees abroad, 11% are working toward doctorates; 9.4% are in medical school; 4.6% are in graduate schools and 5.8% are undergraduates.
The percentage of Israeli academics living abroad for a period of three years or more is particularly high among those seeking degrees in the exact sciences and engineering in relation to those working toward degrees in the humanities and social sciences.
The Israeli students abroad are pursuing degrees in mathematics, statistics and computer science (11.7%); medicine (9.6%); languages and literature (8.6%); engineering and architecture (7.6%); agriculture (6.7%); economics and business management (4.2%); and law (3.6%).
Meanwhile, 24.2% of doctoral students are pursuing a degree in mathematics; 20.6% in physiology; and 19.3% in computer science. Among graduate students, 22% are working toward a music degree; 15.7% toward a mathematics degree; and 15.5% toward a computer science degree.
