Is it only the university they are satisfied with? – Foreign student satisfaction and its effect on loyalty

Abstract

Internationalization has been in the center of research interest in the past decades. With the increasing number of students studying abroad, there has been a growing need for higher education institutions to understand foreign student satisfaction and loyalty. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to distinguish between university- and non-university-related factors accountable for foreign student satisfaction, and to highlight the effect of non-university related factors on overall foreign student satisfaction and loyalty. A clear distinction made between foreign students based on the reason for their loyalty is also studied. The proposed theoretical model is examined with structural equation modeling (SEM) and with the method of partial least squares (PLS). Results show that both university-related and non-university-related satisfaction influence foreign student loyalty. Loyalty of foreign students could be distinguished between. Examined foreign students were proven to be loyal towards either the university, the study abroad experience or none of the above.