Career consequences of transnational educational mobility: A systematic literature review

•Transnational educational mobility is moderately associated with higher income.•No objective evidence is found that TEM eases transition into employment.•Individuals subjectively perceive that TEM fosters career planning, yet studies using elaborate methods report no impact.•Accounting for individual and contextual moderating factors is important.

Transnational educational mobility (TEM) - stays abroad between and during basic and post-secondary education - has become increasingly popular in advanced societies. In this systematic research review, we synthesize findings of existing empirical studies on the potential career benefits of educational mobility. Our extensive search procedure yielded 65 documents that were reviewed with respect to three vertical career outcomes: career planning skills, transition into employment, and professional status or income. Results reveal a moderate positive effect of educational mobility on income after graduation. While individuals themselves perceive a connection between their transnational mobility practices and subsequent job search success, objective effect assessments disprove assumptions about faster school to work transitions. Individuals also perceive a positive impact of TEM on career planning skills, but studies using more elaborate methods report no impact. The review also buttresses the relevance of individual and contextual factors as moderators of the career impact of educational mobility.