| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines the relationship between two rapidly increasing aspects of the world’s higher education landscape: international student mobility and League Tables and Ranking Systems (LTRS) which evaluate higher education institutions (HEIs). This study utilized results from two recent large-scale student surveys which included over 5000 domestic and international graduate students at 82 HEIs in 19 European Union/European Free Trade Area (EU/EFTA) countries. Two primary areas of differences among respondents were analyzed:
1. Comparisons of the differing levels of importance domestic and international graduate students placed on rankings and other factors in their choice of a HEI.
2. Differences in the importance of rankings among different international graduate student demographic groups (age, country of study, discipline, gender, level of degree program, nationality, region of origin, home country income level).
In order to put the quantitative findings from this thesis into context, three background areas are presented. The first provides a conceptual background to international student mobility, by introducing relevant aspects of globalization and internationalization, rationales behind cross-border education, and the scope of student mobility worldwide and in the EU/EFTA region. The second area examines the rise of national and global LTRS. Lastly, prominent theoretical models created to understand domestic and international student decision-making, as well as the results from a comprehensive review of previous student choice studies are discussed.
Among the major findings is that in 31 of 36 comparisons, international and domestic graduate students varied significantly in the importance placed on the included choice factors. In regards to LTRS, master and doctoral students from outside the EU/EFTA rated rankings as significantly more important than domestic students in both surveys. International students from the EU/EFTA only rated rankings higher than domestic students in the 2009 survey.
The 2007 survey included biology, chemistry, math, and physics graduate students. Degree level and country of study were significant factors associated with the importance placed on rankings among both international students from the EU/EFTA region, and those from outside the region. Students from outside the region also placed significantly greater importance on rankings than the EU/EFTA international students. Comparisons combining those two groups showed significant differences based on nationality, region of origin, and home country income level. Age, gender and discipline did not play a significant role within either group.
In the 2009 survey, including economics, political science, and psychology, few significant differences were found in the importance of rankings between or among international students from the EU/EFTA region and those from other countries. While country of study was a significant factor within both groups, discipline was a significant factor only for EU/EFTA students. There was also a small negative correlation with age and the importance placed on rankings by international EU/EFTA doctoral students. Home country income level was a significant factor among the combined group of international students. However, degree level, gender, nationality, and region of origin were not significant for either international group.
Multivariate analyses conducted using binary logistic regression were generally consistent with the bivariate analyses presented above for the 2007 and 2009 samples. The major exceptions were that home country income level and country of study were no longer significant predictors of the importance placed on rankings for international students in 2009.
Keywords: International Students, University Rankings, Graduate Students, Student Mobility, Student Choice | eng |