95% of university students promote Erasmus+

Almost 40 years after its inception, the Erasmus+ programme is still an all-round enrichment tool for those who take part in it. This is stated by the results of the Participant Report - the European Commission's official tool for collecting direct feedback from participants on their experience, learning and organisation, ed. - which will be disseminated on Thursday 15 May in Rome on the occasion of the presentation of the 2025 Report.

Last year's results paint a positive picture. Ninety-five per cent of university students say they are very or fairly satisfied with the period abroad they have just completed and 98% would recommend it to their fellow students.

The answers to the questionnaire first of all give an insight into the reasons why boys and girls participate in Erasmus+. From an educational point of view, what moves them is the desire to deal with different curricular content (75.7%) or to learn or improve a foreign language (73.5%).

In this context, the Erasmus grants, although not sufficient to cover the entire stay as the average monthly fees are around 350-400 euros, are nevertheless decisive in ensuring the participation of the interviewees: almost half, without a grant, would not have been able to afford the expenses necessary to live an experience abroad.

Turning to the effects once back home, nine out of ten Erasmus students state that they have gained more self-confidence and the ability to adapt in new contexts; they have developed critical thinking and feel more open and curious about new challenges; with respect to social relations. The answers show that Erasmus makes them more tolerant of different values and behaviour, more willing to cooperate with people from other cultures and with a different background. More than 70% of the students say they are more interested in European issues and 78% have taken advantage of it to enhance skills related to their field of study. For many, almost two out of three, the Erasmus experience represented a useful moment of reflection in order to have, on their return, clearer ideas about their future in terms of aspirations and work objectives