Factors Influencing the Choice of Overseas Study by Undergraduate and Postgraduate Chinese Students

The objective of this paper is to investigate the major factors that influence Chinese students’ decision-making of an overseas study destination. The major education markets are USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Germany France and Japan. Chinese students constitute the largest proportion of international students in the world education market accounting for about 14% of the total market (UNESCO 2006). The research addresses questions such which factors have the greatest influence on Chinese students’ decision-making process; what is the order of preference as destination study country and why, what information sources do students and parents access to inform their decisions. Data was collected from institutions in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in China from both high schools and universities. The data collection approach used self completed questionnaires. The findings are useful for academic institutions especially their various marketing functions.