Factors Affecting Students in the Selection of Country for Higher Education: A Comparative Analysis of International Students in Germany and the UK

Jawad Abbas, Uthman Alturki, Misbah Habib, Ahmed Aldraiweesh and Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi
Additional contact information
Jawad Abbas: Faculty of Business and Economics, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany
Uthman Alturki: Educational Technology Department, College of Education, King Saud University, P.O. Box 65663, Riyadh 11566, Saudi Arabia
Misbah Habib: Faculty of Management Sciences, Forman Christian College and University, Lahore 54600, Pakistan
Ahmed Aldraiweesh: Educational Technology Department, College of Education, King Saud University, P.O. Box 65663, Riyadh 11566, Saudi Arabia
Waleed Mugahed Al-Rahmi: Faculty of Social Sciences & Humanities, School of Education, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai 81310, Johor, Malaysia

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-17

Abstract: Based on the internationalization of higher education in the current global highly competitive education market, the current study aims to explore the factors affecting students in the selection of the country to continue their higher education. Following the mixed-method approach, the researchers collected data from international students studying in Germany and the United Kingdom (UK). The qualitative phase identified six themes: academic, social, personal, financial, career, and marketing as the highly influential elements in students’ choice to study abroad. Empirical analyses indicate that students in both countries consider academic reputation as a dominant theme in the selection of country for HEI. However, noteworthy differences were identified in the subsequent themes. Moreover, international students in Germany were found more satisfied with their choice of the country as compared to the students in the UK. This study provides valuable insights to the academic policymakers in the host and home countries concerning factors that pull and push students to study abroad. It also proposes recommendations to counter the brain drain element.

Keywords: higher education; international students; internationalization of higher education; foreign education; students’ decision; study abroad (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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