Though a steadily increasing number of college students across the country have been flocking to study abroad programs to expand their education, numbers from the Office of International Programs at Binghamton University have been doing no more than fluctuating.

Last week results from a study from the Institute of International Education revealed that the number of students studying abroad has increased by 8.5 percent, while the number of international students studying in the United States has also increased 3 percent.

Even while the rest of the country’s interest in worldwide study has increased, Katherine Krebs, Ph.D., director for the Office of International Programs, said that though her department had not kept exact figures, the number of BU students studying abroad ‘ even to the more common countries of interest like England, Spain, Italy and France ‘ has fluctuated over the years.

‘The pattern or generalization I would make is you can study abroad regardless of your studies,’ she said, though she noted that certain majors seem to be increasingly attracted to programs in specific areas of the world.

OIP files reports following trends at the University, Krebs said, and the findings indicate that international programs are the most popular among English and psychology majors.

While the top countries of interest are predominantly English-speaking, Krebs noted that more exotic locations such as Morocco, Turkey and Egypt have recently been gaining popularity.

In the past five years, she added, while locations in the United Kingdom ‘ including the Semester-in-London Program ‘ have been a popular choice because of ‘ease of language,’ Krebs found that business students have taken a particular interest in Spain, Italy and France.

‘It’s an exciting development,’ she said.

Nationally, students going abroad to Asia, Latin America and the Middle East increased dramatically from last year, but the United Kingdom remained ranked as the No. 1 destination.

While the enrollment in programs in the Middle East rose 31 percent, Krebs said those who majored in Arabic studies are the only majors who have been recently studying in the area, possibly because of tumult.

Economics and political science majors have also turned their attention to Asia ‘ an area that received 26 percent more American students nationally this year. ‘Economic and political importance is increasing in Asian nations,’ especially in relation to the United States, Krebs said.

However, while more students nationwide are taking part in international programs, the costs of programs are also changing.

In an article earlier this month in The New York Times, a report on the cost of study abroad in the United States showed that additional costs for a program are determined significantly by the additional ‘support services’ offered to students.

One of the main differences in cost is between exchange and study abroad programs.

According to the OIP Web site, the estimated total for studying abroad in the fall semester in the University of Edinburgh is $17,416.50 while a spring semester will cost around $20,910.00. The price tag is comprehensive and includes everything from instructional material to transportation.

An exchange program in Edinburgh, on the other hand, does not reach more than around $12,000 for either semester.