This research assessed the impact of study abroad and classroom-based cultural experiences on traditional college students' cultural intelligence (CQ) levels, as measured through the standardized Cultural Intelligence Survey. Data from students participating in cultural experiences were collected using the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS). The hypotheses were tested using a pre-test/post-test research design and a non-randomized sample (quasi-experimental). The results were initially analyzed using descriptive statistics to report mean average and standard deviation scores before and after each cultural experience. A second round of analysis was performed to provide a deeper understanding of CQ scores at the dimension level. A closer analysis of the data raised some questions about best practices in assessing cultural experiences that contribute to the discussion and growing body of research regarding cultural intelligence literature. Overall, the findings from this research support the value of cultural experiences in raising CQ levels among traditional college students.