The Same but Different: New Report on Student Choice

Which factors have the strongest influence on choices about where to study, and how does this differ around the world? How and why do students consult rankings, and what other sources feed into their decisions? What shared motivations and beliefs unite students worldwide, and what sets them apart?

These are some of the questions explored in a new report – “What Matters to International Students? Global Overview” – published today by QS, based on a series of focus groups with prospective international students in 11 countries across Europe, Asia and the Americas. The insights gained through these focus groups are complemented by a short survey, which highlights some of the key differences between students in distinct locations, as well as global trends.

Key themes explored include:

Motivations for studying abroad

As the chart above shows, quality of education is the leading perceived benefit of studying at an internationally recognized university in the developing regions covered by the report. For students in the US, on the other hand, establishing a global network is at the top of the list, while Europeans place greater emphasis on improved employment prospects. The report explores these trends in more depth, drawing on the focus groups to examine what ‘quality of education’ means to different groups of students, and the various push and pull factors at play in each context.

Employability and teaching quality

Students worldwide are united in a shared attempt to assess both employability and teaching quality when choosing a university. As the above chart shows, teaching quality is the top priority for students in most locations covered, while employment rates are the leading priority for those in the US, and within the top five everywhere else. The report examines the various ways in which students attempt to evaluate these two essential components, and the types of information and support universities can provide to make this easier.

The role of rankings

Around the world, students tend to state a preference for subject-specific rankings. While this trend may be partly explained by the fact that most survey respondents were applying at master’s or PhD level, and therefore often had a clearly defined field of study in mind, the report suggests additional reasons for this preference – including the perception that subject rankings are likely to provide a better gauge of educational quality. The study also explores the strong perceived link between rankings, reputation and employment prospects, a belief which holds true worldwide.

This global overview is complemented by a series of reports dedicated to trends in international student choice by region – covering the US, Latin America, India and China, with a forthcoming report on South East Asia.