Factors Influencing International Students to Study at Universities in Taiwan: A Study Using Conjoint Analysis

Abstract

The number of countries that are actively involved in international student recruitment has grown considerably Given the growing international competition between countries for international students it has become increasingly important to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence international students’ decision on study destination This is especially necessary for Higher Education (HE) institutions in Taiwan where the number of international students in Taiwan has almost doubled over the past four years studying a wide variety of subjects This study applied conjoint analysis research to analyze the factors which might influence international students' choice towards universities in Taiwan Using self-designed questionnaire to collect data from international students in Taiwan Through the use of conjoint analysis it was shown that the most important of the attributes measured was scholarship followed by international environment desired course language future job institutional image Based on the findings in this study university recruiters can decode the students’ intention and the influence factors properly that will provide better strategy to attract international students Therefore the practical implications of the study will be discussed along with academic contributions and suggestions for future research

Date of Award	2014 Jun 25
Original language	English
Supervisor	Yao-Chuan Tsai (Supervisor)