Why study abroad? Sorting of Chinese students across British universities

Abstract

This research contributes to the booming literature on the mobility of international students in higher education. We analyse universitylevel factors that affect the sorting of Chinese international students across British universities. We produced a unique data-set merging university-level data from the 2014 UK Higher Education Statistics Agency and the Higher Expectations Survey, supplemented by qualitative evidence from six focus groups for illustrative purposes. Our results, using nationally representative evidence for the first time, confirmed that university prestige is the most important driver for the sorting of Chinese students across British universities, together with further effects of the broader social and cultural offerings that the universities provide. Interestingly, the cost of study and marketing strategies deployed by universities do not seem to drive the Chinese students' university choices. Our findings underline the importance of diffuse institutional factors such as university rankings and their taken-for-granted status by students themselves.

Factors for Chinese Students Choosing Australian Higher Education and Motivation for Returning: A Systematic Review

“…Because of the China's higher education massification after 1990s, degrees issued by different universities cannot confer the same sense of symbolic capital or cannot secure a job in China's labor market anymore (Bai, 2006). Afterward, pursuing the symbolic capital of overseas higher education becomes a smart choice (Cebolla-Boado et al, 2018). Due to the increased globalization of higher education, world-class education has been seen less as a means to an end and more as symbolic capital (Hansen & Thogersen, 2015).…”

“…Due to the increased globalization of higher education, world-class education has been seen less as a means to an end and more as symbolic capital (Hansen & Thogersen, 2015). Chinese students and their families are highly sensitive to such globally constructed university ranking and reputation and the invisible symbolic capital (Cebolla-Boado et al, 2018).…”

“…China is experiencing the dramatic development, and its economic growth needs plenty of talents. The majority of Chinese students choose to come back after they finish studying in Australia, because there are better career opportunities in China (Cebolla-Boado et al, 2018). Finally, in Chinese culture, guanxi (social connections) is still playing significant roles in individual career development (C. Cao, 2008;Chen, 2014).…”

Chinese Students’ Motivations for Overseas versus Domestic MLIS Education: A Comparative Study between University of Tsukuba and Shanghai University

“…19 Meanwhile, with the sustained economic developments taking place in Mainland China, it has become more affordable for Chinese families to send their children to study aboard-particularly for the emerging urban middle class. 20 With sustained economic developments in Mainland China, going abroad to study in Japan has become more affordable for an increasing number of Chinese families, especially because of the foreign currency exchange rates in recent years.…”

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“…Most students have limited experience, if any, of overseas higher educational opportunities, so they are involved in extensive information searching (Rafi, 2018). Studying abroad also involves high costs such as tuition fees, living costs abroad, and reduction of savings (Cebolla-Boado, Hu, & Soysal, 2018), as well as cultural and physiological costs (Madden & McMillan, 2018). Hence, students extensively evaluate benefits they might gain during and after studying abroad and subsequently worry about progress and performance in the course (Petzold & Moog, 2018).…”