Factors influencing the decision of DLSU and SMU international students to study abroad

• Main Authors: Flores, Phil Justice T., Junsay, Jia Mayca F., Lim, Candice Gale Y., Ng Wong, Erika Valerie Y.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10892
• Institution: De La Salle University

This thesis explored the factors that influenced the decision of international students to study at De La Salle University (DLSU) and Singapore Management University (SMU), respectively. We hypothesized that all factors, primary, country, and institution factors, are regarded as not important. Moreover, the actual experience of the international students did not meet the degree of importance that they associated factor. To these hypotheses, we surveyed 219 international students from DLSU and 266 international students from SMU. We used parameters to see whether the factors were regarded as important or not by our respondents. Furthermore, we measured their actual experience based on the satisfaction level of the students. In general, all factors were important to the decision of international students to study abroad although students from DLSU and MSY considered these factors with different degrees of importance. This means that the students really have different perspective and opinion on why they chose to study abroad. For DLSU students, primary factors played a big role while for SMU students, institution image factors were most important. The actual experiences of DLSU and SMU international students had satisfactorily met the factors that were regarded with high degree of importance. Therefore, both universities are doing well in terms of the factors that are considered important by these international students. Their research would greatly help both schools on maintaining the international students satisfaction as well as further improve their programs for international students. This can also aid the schools in their marketing campaigns to attract more students from other schools.