Higher Education Institution Choice Behaviors of International Students on U.S. College Campuses

The economic, social, and personal value of education has been realized as motivating factors for seeking a better education overseas by individuals. In addition, political, economic, and educational conditions of home countries impact individuals’ decisions to study abroad. There were over 4 million tertiary students studying outside their home countries in 2011. Nearly 820,000 of those students were studying in higher education institutions in the United States. Students from China, India, and South Korea comprise nearly 49% of the international students in the United States. The increase in the number of students studying overseas and their valuable contributions develop a strong competition among universities around the world, especially in the United States. It is important for higher education institution officials to understand the decision-making process of international students to attract them to their institutions and benefit from their presence on their campuses. This mixed methods study examined motivational factors for international students to study in the four-year public and private higher education institutions in South Texas in the United States. A two-phased sequential explanatory mixed method design was established to identify the themes that were important in the decision-making process. The study showed that several factors, such as perception, influence, and opportunity, were very important in the decision of international students to come to the United States for their studies. The results may help administrators with their recruitment strategies and plans. However, it is worthy to expand this study to other higher education institutions and locations to better understand the decision-making behavior of international students who study abroad