Same, Yet Different: A New Report on Student Choice

What factors have the greatest impact on the decision of where to study abroad? How does this differ around the world? How do students consult rankings, and why? What other sources influence their decisions? What shared motivations and beliefs unite students across the globe, and what sets them apart?

These questions are explored in QS’s new report released today, “What Matters to International Students? A Global Overview”. The report draws on a series of focus groups with prospective international students in 11 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Insights from these focus groups are supplemented by a short survey that highlights some of the key differences between students in different locations, as well as global trends.

Key themes explored include:

Motivations for Studying Abroad

As shown in the chart above, in the developing regions covered by the report, education quality is the main perceived benefit of studying at an internationally recognized university. For students in the US, building a global network ranks highest, while Europeans place more value on improving their employment prospects. The report examines these trends in greater depth, using the focus group discussions to look at how different student groups understand “education quality,” and the different pull factors and push factors that shape choice in each context.

Employability and Teaching Quality

Students around the world share a common effort to assess employability and teaching quality when choosing a university. As shown in the chart above, teaching quality is the top priority for students in most of the locations covered by the report, while in the US, graduate employment rate is the top priority and is also among the top five everywhere else. The report examines the different ways students evaluate these two essential components, and what kinds of information and support universities can provide to make the process easier.

The Role of Rankings

Students around the world tend to prefer subject-specific rankings. This trend can be partly explained by the fact that most survey respondents are applying for master’s or doctoral study, and therefore usually have a clearly defined field of research. The report also suggests other reasons, including the belief that subject rankings may provide a more accurate measure of educational quality. The study also explores the strong perceived link between rankings, reputation, and employment prospects, a belief that holds true globally.

This global overview is complemented by a series of region-specific reports on international student choice trends, covering the United States, Latin America, India, and China, as well as an upcoming report on Southeast Asia.