What impact do short-term, faculty-led study abroad programs have on student learning? And are such programs more impactful than a standard face-to-face course? University administrators and faculty have long touted study abroad programs' ability to challenge stereotypes and promote cross-cultural understanding among students. However, little research exists to corroborate these claims, leading skeptics to argue that study abroad programs provide a fun experience for students, but not much actual academic value. This article weighs in on this debate by analyzing the impact of a two-and-a-half week study abroad program to Jordan and Israel during summer 2017 and summer 2018. It does so by assessing quantitative and qualitative data gathered from pre- and post-program surveys for 51 undergraduate program participants. In addition, it compares these data to similar data collected from students who completed an in-class section of Middle Eastern Politics to determine whether study abroad has any greater impact on student perceptions of the region than a standard university course. The results suggest that studying abroad in the Middle East does indeed impact student perceptions and stereotypes of the region and that, on most measures, this effect is greater than that observed among students in the face-to-face course.