A student exchange opportunities first abroad experience under a student exchange is visiting a student with another disciple mostly with other nationalities. In return, the other students often visited his exchange student at a later date. However, by now including an exchange of larger groups of students two schools where individual students not necessarily take on a student of their host family in, is understood. Usually it is the case that everyone receives an exchange partner, who later visited him in his country and lives with his family. The most student exchanges are organised by schools and the exchanges take place in alternative.

A class goes together with a teacher who taught the language of the exchange country to attend another class in just this country and vice versa. Thus, a cultural exchange between countries takes place and the students learn about the language and culture of the host country. Such a Student exchange takes place between the seventh and twelfth class and can take between one week and a year. In the exchange country, usually the school must be visited, although it often comes to any active participation in the classroom. However, it is not absolutely necessary that there is an exchange partner of similar age. Married couples without children or with small children and single people can be just as good host family. Exchange destinations are usually the European neighbouring countries, France or the Netherlands in Germany during a short exchange of students.

At six months and longer stays abroad, the United States is the most popular, followed closely by other English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. However, China and Latin American countries such as Argentina, Brazil and Mexico are becoming increasingly attractive. However, the number of participants in the United States can be achieved even if they are declining since the year 2000. In public schools, about 7,000 took Students attended a student exchange with the United States. With a length of three months or longer 14,000 German students participated in the school year 2005/2006 on a student exchange.