In the context of the Bologna Process and the creation of a European Higher Education Area, student mobility has significantly accelerated. Harmonization of degree structures and increased compatibility between education systems have facilitated the internationalization of academic pathways. As of 2023, global student mobility has reached 6.4 million students—an increase of 32% over five years. Europe remains the leading host region, with France ranking sixth globally.
Despite this quantitative growth, international mobility remains socially and gender-selective.

Indeed, personal factors play a crucial role in shaping mobility trajectories. Female students face more obstacles to mobility than their male peers. Social background also plays a decisive role: students from privileged families are disproportionately represented in Erasmus programs, and mobility is strongly conditioned by financial and academic barriers.

When it comes to professional outcomes, the evidence is mixed. While international mobility is often associated with enhanced job quality and employability, it doesn’t systematically improve overall employment prospects. Rather, its benefits are strongly mediated by the field of study and students’ socioeconomic background. For some graduates, international experience increases the likelihood of securing a permanent executive position; for others, it may lead to overqualification or geographical compromise.

The objective of our work is to attempt to provide some answers to the two central questions that arise from these observations: What are the key drivers of international mobility in higher education—networks, linguistic capital, financial means? And to what extent is the impact of this mobility on professional outcomes gendered?

Our study relies on data from the Génération 2004 and Génération 2017 surveys conducted by Céreq, focusing on Master's graduates who were employed for more than six months at the time of the survey (N=1,636 in 2004; N=2,029 in 2017).

Using logistic regression models, we estimate 1) the probability of undertaking international mobility during higher education and 2) its impact on early career outcomes.
- We show that student mobility is increasingly influenced not only by academic factors but also by social and cultural capital. Interestingly, between 2004 and 2017, women became slightly more likely to engage in mobility. However, the effects of mobility on professional outcomes are deeply gendered:
- Women—regardless of whether they were mobile—are less likely than non-mobile men to earn less than the minimum wage.
- Mobility does not universally enhance access to permanent contracts. The negative effect is most pronounced for women, suggesting that mobility may even exacerbate existing gender inequalities in early job stability.
- Mobility appears to appears to be a barrier to downgrading for men but not for women

Our findings show that international student mobility does not compensate for gender inequalities in the labor market. If anything, it amplifies them: men are more likely to benefit from mobility in terms of salary and job match, while women experience persistent disadvantages, even when mobile. Mobility acts as a career booster for men, but for many women, it remains a mirage, promising opportunity but delivering limited professional advantage.

Keywords: Students mobility, Gendered inequalities.