Skip to main content
Log in

International students’ choice to study in China: an exploratory study

  • Published:
Tertiary Education and Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

International higher education is a major source of revenue in many developed countries. Historically the top destination countries for international students have included USA, UK, France and Australia. The key countries where most international students are recruited from include China, India and other parts of Asia. The extant literature has mostly examined the factors influencing international students to study in Western countries. A new trend is now emerging with an accelerating growth of international students in countries such as China and other parts of Asia. This mixed-methods study addresses the gap in the literature by exploring the factors that influence international students’ choice to study undergraduate or postgraduate courses in China. The study found that China is becoming an important destination choice for international students due to the distinctiveness of the Chinese language, the rise of its universities in global rankings and the country’s economic growth.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abubakar, B., Shanka, T., & Muuka, G. N. (2010). Tertiary education: An investigation of location selection criteria and preferences by international students-The case of two Australian universities. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 20(1), 49–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad, A.B., Hassan, H.A., & Al-Ahmedi, M. W. A. (2017). Motivations of government-sponsored Kurdish students for pursuing postgraduate studies abroad: An exploratory study. Journal of Studies in International Education, 21(2), 105–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad, S. Z., & Hussain, M. (2017). The analytic hierarchy process of the decision-making factors of African students in obtaining higher education in the United Arab Emirates. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 47(2), 163–176.

    Google Scholar 

  • Altbach, P. G. (1998). The university as center and periphery. In P. G. Altbach (Ed.), Comparative higher education: Knowledge, the university and development (pp. 49–65). Hong Kong: Comparative Education Research Center, The University of Hong Kong.

    Google Scholar 

  • Binsardi, A., & Ekwulugo, F. (2003). International marketing of British education: Research on the students’ perception and the UK market penetration. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 27(5), 318–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C.-H., & Zimitat, C. (2006). Understanding Taiwanese students’ decision-making factors regarding Australian international higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, 20(2), 91–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H.-L. (2008). Internationalization or international marketing? Two frameworks for understanding international students’ choice of Canadian universities Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, 18(1), 1–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi, J. H. (2013). Attitudes of international music students from East Asia toward US higher education institutions. International Journal of Music Education, 31(3), 346–358.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2008). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davey, G. (2005). Chinese students’ motivations for studying abroad. International Journal of Private Education, 2, 16–21.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dimmock, C., & Ong Soon Leong, J. (2010). Studying overseas: Mainland Chinese students in Singapore. Compare, 40(1), 25–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ding, X. (2016). Exploring the experiences of international students in China. Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(4), 319–338. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315316647164

    Google Scholar 

  • Fengliang, L. (2016). Economies of scale and scope in internationalisation: Evidence from Chinese universities. China: An International Journal, 14(2), 189–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2006). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute of International Education. (2015). Outbound mobility: Most recent. Retrieved January 11 2018, from https://doi.org/www.iie.org/Research-and-lnsights/Project-Atlas/Explore-Data/China/Outbound-Mobility—Most-Recent

    Google Scholar 

  • Institute of International Education. (2017). International students. Retrieved January 17, 2018, from https://doi.org/www.iie.org/Research-and-lnsights/Open-Doors/Data/lnternational-Students

    Google Scholar 

  • International Consultants for Education and Fairs, M. (2015). The state of international student mobility in 2015. Retrieved from https://doi.org/monitor.icef.com/2015/11/the-state-of-international-student-mobility-in-2015/website

    Google Scholar 

  • James-MacEachern, M., & Yun, D. (2017). Exploring factors influencing international students’ decision to choose a higher education institution: A comparison between Chinese and other students. International Journal of Educational Management, 31(3), 343–363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jon, J.-E., Lee, J.J., & Byun, K. (2014). The emergence of a regional hub: Comparing international student choices and experiences in South Korea. Higher Education, 67(5), 691–710.

    Google Scholar 

  • King, R., & Sondhi, G. (2018). International student migration: A comparison of UK and Indian students’ motivations for studying abroad. Globalisation, Societies and Education, 16(2), 176–191.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasanowski, V. (2009). International student mobility: Status report 2009. London: The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, M., & Bray, M. (2007). Cross-border flows of students for higher education: Push-pull factors and motivations of mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong and Macau. Higher Education, 53(6), 791–818.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, W., & Lin, X. (2016). Meeting the needs of Chinese international students is there anything we can learn from their home system? Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(4), 357–370. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315316656456

    Google Scholar 

  • Maringe, F., & Carter, S. (2007). International students’ motivations for studying in UK HE: Insights into the choice and decision making of African students. International Journal of Educational Management, 21(6), 459–475.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazzarol, T., & Soutar, G. N. (2002). ‘Push-pull’ factors influencing international student destination choice. International Journal of Educational Management, 16(2), 82–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • McMahon, M. E. (1992). Higher education in a world market. Higher Education, 24(4), 465–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Education. (2014). Overall situation of studying in China for international students. Retrieved December 26 2017, from https://doi.org/www.moe.edu.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/moe/s3917/201007/91575.html

    Google Scholar 

  • Moogan, Y. J., Baron, S., & Harris, K. (1999). Decision-making behaviour of potential higher education students. Higher Education Quarterly, 53(3), 211–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2013). How is international student mobility shaping up? Retrieved from https://doi.org/www.oecd.org/edu/skills-beyond-school/EDIF%202013-N%C2%B014%20%28eng%29-Final.pdf

    Google Scholar 

  • Padlee, S. F., Kamaruddin, A. R.,& Baharun, R. (2010). International students’ choice behavior for higher education at Malaysian private universities. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 2(2), 202.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkins, S., Balakrishnan, M.S., & Huisman, J. (2011). Student choice in higher education: Motivations for choosing to study atan international branch campus. Journal of Studies in International Education, 16(5), 413–433. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315311429002

    Google Scholar 

  • Wu, Q. (2014). Motivations and decision-making processes of Mainland Chinese students for undertaking master’s programs abroad. Journal of Studies in International Education, 78(5), 426–444. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1028315313519823

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mahsood Shah.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ahmad, A.B., Shah, M. International students’ choice to study in China: an exploratory study. Tert Educ Manag 24, 325–337 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2018.1458247

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13583883.2018.1458247

Keywords

Navigation