In an increasingly globalized and culturally diverse world, extended stays abroad during high school are considered important opportunities for acquiring and improving a variety of skills, most importantly, language achievement. This study examines both predictors and effects of studying abroad in an English-speaking country during high school, using population data from the second largest city in Germany (N = 5361; 13% went abroad). In order to determine the most central predictors of studying abroad, we employed logistic regression models in which students’ socioeconomic background emerged as the strongest predictor of studying abroad. To test the effects of studying abroad, we applied propensity score matching. Studying abroad had positive effects on standardized achievement, grades, and course choice in English, whereas it had hardly any effects on outcomes in math. Implications for studying abroad during high school and future research directions are discussed.

在一个日益全球化和多元文化的世界中，高中期间在国外长期居留被认为是获得和提高各种技能（最重要的是语言成就）的重要机会。本研究探讨这两个预测结果和高中期间，在英语国家留学，使用从德国的第二大城市，人口数据的影响（ñ = 5361; 13％出国了。为了确定出国留学的最主要预测因素，我们采用了逻辑回归模型，其中学生的社会经济背景成为出国留学的最强预测因素。为了测试出国留学的效果，我们应用了倾向得分匹配。出国留学对英语的标准成绩，成绩和课程选择有积极影响，而对数学结果几乎没有影响。讨论了在高中期间出国留学的意义以及未来的研究方向。