Universities sent an all-time high number of college kids abroad last year, with large numbers of area students headed toward places like China and the Middle East.

George Washington University saw more than 1,200 undergraduates study off-campus in 2007-08, up from just over 1,000 in 2005-06. The school ranked 18th overall for the percentage of students going abroad, according to statistics released this week by the Institute of International Education, which is affiliated with the U.S. Department of State.