How do international students define 'high quality' education?

One of the key headlines from our latest Emerging Futures survey is that most students rate ‘high quality of education’ as their primary factor when deciding where to study. Students interested in studying in one of the ‘big four’ destinations - Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US - all rated ‘high quality of education’ as the top reason for their choice of destination.

The next most important factors in destination choice are ‘good employment opportunities after graduation’, ‘safe country for international students’, and ‘the availability of scholarships’. These three are tangible factors and it is clear what students mean when they pick them, but ‘quality of education’ is less concrete.

As part of our ongoing series of Emerging Futures surveys to highlight and amplify the student voice, we asked students what factors are important to them in understanding if their chosen study destination provides ‘high quality of education’. The answers provide us with actionable insights to inform recruitment strategies and enable institutions to tailor the information and services that students want and need.

In this article we aim to answer one simple question: how do prospective international students define ‘high quality' of education?

Background

Our Emerging Futures, Voice of the International Student survey was carried out between February 22 and March 19, 2024. It collated the views of more than 11,500 prospective, applied, current and completed international students from 117 countries across the globe. Since April 2020, IDP has conducted 11 major surveys of international students. Our partners can view the data in their IQ dashboards, where they are able to drill down into the entire set of results by destination country, source market, students’ study status and more.

Alongside deciding what to study, choosing where to study is one of the key decisions for international students. Understanding how students come to this decision is important for destination marketing. It can also assist individual institutions for recruitment planning strategies, targeting their marketing, and providing the most appropriate information to attract the right students for their offering.

Our Emerging Futures research is a fundamental part of IDP’s work to help with these tasks. To better understand how students choose their destination, we asked All international students (All = Prospective, Applied, Current, and Completed where applicable) to rank the most important factors in their decision-making process. Respondents could choose three factors from a comprehensive list and were asked to rate them.

The top six factors chosen across All students can be seen above. ‘High quality of education’ was rated the top reason among All student respondents across all study statuses (prospective, applied, and current) and across all study levels (post-graduate (PG), under-graduate (UG), vocational, pathway, and ‘other’).

Students could choose from 18 factors in total. The other factors are ranked below as they were rated by the students:

7. Institutions are attractive

8. Welcomes people from other countries

9. Good internship opportunities

10. Presence of family and friends

11. Ease of obtaining a post-study work visa

12. Cost of living is affordable

13. Ease of obtaining permanent residency

14. Ease of obtaining a student visa

15. Cost of tuition is generally low

16. Near my home country

17. Cost of accommodation is affordable

18. More available accommodation

Primary factors by destination

There were 13 specified first-choice destinations – the US, Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, France, China, the UAE, Hong Kong, and Malaysia respectively. Of All students who specified a first-choice destination, ‘high quality of education’ was rated the top factor for 9 of the 13 study destinations. Only students choosing New Zealand, the UAE, Hong Kong, and Malaysia as their first-choice study destination rated other factors higher.

Of those students who did not specify a first choice, ‘high quality of education’ was rated third, behind ‘good employment opportunities after graduation’ and ‘availability of scholarships’. This shows us that even before choosing a study destination, students know that high quality of education is important to them.

Primary factors by source market

Across the top 11 respondent source markets (for this comparison we have excluded any source market with fewer than 200 respondents), only students from China did not rate ‘high quality of education’ as the top factor in their first-choice destination decision. For students from China, it was rated as the fourth most important factor behind ‘good employment opportunities after graduation’, ‘good part time work opportunities’, and ‘availability of scholarships’. This is of note as data sources are increasingly demonstrating that Chinese students are becoming more outcome-focused and cost-sensitive.

Overarchingly, as well as seeing that ‘high quality education’ is a primary factor in destination choice, we already have a clear picture that graduate outcomes are at top of mind for international students.

We asked All international students to rate their perceptions of six destination countries in relation to the quality of education – with 0 being low quality and 10 being high quality. The overall average ratings are high, which is an extremely positive sign: the US 8.5, the UK 8.2, Australia 8.0, Canada 7.7, New Zealand 7.3, and Ireland 7.1.

Of All student respondents, the US received the most ‘10’ ratings at 41%, and Ireland received the lowest with 17% of ‘10’ ratings. Perceptions of quality were slightly higher for most countries among prospective and applied students, while current students gave lower ratings.

In terms of source market, of the top 13 respondent countries (for this comparison we have excluded any source market with fewer than 200 respondents), students from Ghana were most likely to give the US the top rating, with 59% rating it ‘10’. Students from Ghana also gave the UK the destination’s highest percentage of ‘10’ ratings with 54%.

The dashboard statistics allow us to drill down into source market perceptions to see what students from specific countries feel about a destination and how they rate it. This means institutions wishing to diversify their recruitment can spot the countries to target and provide the right marketing messages for them.

Perceptions of quality of education over time

IDP’s longitudinal Emerging Futures research tracks the fluctuations in student perception and allows us to see where and when attitudes changed. We can then correlate the fluctuations with regional factors such as policy changes and poor foreign exchange rates to enable better strategizing and planning.

The most marked change in students’ perception of quality of education has been in Canada. When we compare Emerging Futures data from the first iteration to the most recent, we see an overall drop in students’ perceptions of Canada’s quality of education. From a peak of 8.3 in March 2023 (when Canada was rated higher than Australia), the rating for Canada in dipped to 7.7 in March 2024.

By December 2023, the Canadian government had already announced a series of policy changes and there was significant negative press coverage of ministerial comments relating to Canada’s acute housing shortage and risks to the “integrity of the system” caused by increased growth in international student numbers.

An announcement was made that the pandemic-related ability to extend Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWPs) by 18 months would be halted on December 31, 2023 and this coincides with a continued decline in perceptions of Canada’s quality of education.

Across other destinations, the perception of ‘quality of education’ in the US has risen slightly from 8.4 in March 2022 to 8.5 in March 2024, although it peaked at 8.6 in March 2023. Similarly, perceptions of the UK peaked in March 2023 with 8.5 but have now fallen to their lowest rating of 8.2 in March 2024. Australia has seen an overall rise in their rating since the first Emerging Futures survey (7.9 in March 2022 to 8.0 in March 2024) and the peak was in August 2023 at 8.1.

Throughout our longitudinal Emerging Futures research, ‘high quality of education’ has consistently appeared as one of the top factors for students when deciding where they will pursue their international studies. However, quality of education is a perceived notion and the meaning or understanding of it may differ from student to student. So, how do we know what ‘high quality of education’ means?

We asked All students, “What factors are/were most important to you in understanding if the country provides ‘high quality education’ to international students”.

Respondents were asked to pick three out of ten factors and rate them in order of importance.

The top five rated factors among All students are shown above. Students chose from 10 factors in total. The other factors are ranked below as they were rated by the students:

6. access to a diverse network of international students

7. global leader in a range of fields

8. pathways to migration

9. access to cutting edge research

10. rich cultural heritage

When we look at the data from a study level perspective, PG students rated ‘world-renowned/high reputation institutions’ as their top factor, while all other study levels (UG, vocational, pathway, and ‘other’) rated ‘availability of graduate employment schemes’ as the most important factor. Graduate employment schemes are structured training programs providing industry skills and experience. Typically offered by larger organizations, they are designed to develop future leaders of the business and usually last from 12 months to three years.

Interestingly, when looking at the study status of respondents, and when thinking about top-of-the-funnel marketing, prospective students rated ‘availability of graduate employment schemes’ as the most important factor, followed by ‘wide range of academic programs’. These students rated ‘world-renowned/high reputation institutions’ in third place.

Strong graduate outcomes, i.e. the availability of internship and employment pathways for international students, are a key factor in how students view a quality education offering. Without post-graduate employment support in place, institutions risk appearing lower in quality to prospective students, especially at the UG level. Institutions need to create strong messaging about graduate employment outcomes, highlighting opportunities that are available for international students specifically.

Understanding ‘quality’ by destination

Of the 13 destination countries specified by respondents, having ‘world-renowned/high reputation institutions’ was rated as the most important factor for all students who had selected the US, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, or Malaysia as their first-choice study destination.

‘Availability of graduate employment schemes’ was rated as the most important factor for students choosing the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Ireland, France, and the UAE.

Only students who had chosen China indicated a different most important factor, with ‘global leader in a range of fields’ being their top-rated factor in understanding whether the country provides high quality of education.

Understanding ‘quality’ by source market

Across the top 11 respondent source markets (for this comparison we have excluded any source market with fewer than 200 respondents), students from India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh rated ‘world renowned/high-reputation institutions’ as their top factor in understanding whether a country provides ‘high quality education’ to international students.

Students from Nigeria, Philippines, Ghana, and Pakistan chose ‘availability of graduate employment schemes’ as their top-rated factor in their understanding of ‘high quality of education’, while students from Kenya and Nepal rated ‘wide range of academic programs’ most highly.

Students from China rated ‘global leader in a range of fields’ in the top spot, while students from Sri Lanka chose ‘high ranking of institutions’.

Perceptions of graduate employment opportunities over time

As we can see from the section above, student outcomes in the form of graduate employment pathways are a significant factor in student perception of whether a destination provides quality education. Our longitudinal research shows us that over the course of our five Emerging Futures studies, the perceptions of Canada’s graduate employment opportunities have fluctuated. Over the entire span of the research, the rating has fallen from 7.9 in March 2022 to 7.0 in the latest research (March 2024).

Perceptions of graduate employment opportunities in other countries have also fluctuated, but notably, the US and Australia overtook Canada in August 23, with the gap increasing as perceptions of employment outcomes in Canada fell in March 2024.

Graduate outcomes are of course significantly affected by each country’s post-study work (PSW) policies and we know that instability in the policy environment causes students to consider carefully which destination is right for their individual journey. Read more about the effects of policy updates on student decision-making in our article, Factors Affecting International Student Destination Choice.

Perceptions of post-study work policies over time

Our Emerging Futures data shows us that perceptions of Canada’s PSW policy have fallen significantly over the series of surveys, but it is still rated the highest of any destination and sits just above Australia. Australia peaked in August 2023, but following a series of changes to policy settings, including the reduction of the duration of PSW rights for some graduates and changes to the eligible age for a Temporary Graduate visa, perceptions fell in March 2024.

Following the UK government’s announcement that it would be reviewing the Graduate visa route, perceptions of UK PSW policy fell to its lowest level over the entire series of Emerging Futures surveys, and crucially it now sits behind the US, which has recovered from a dip which occurred in August 2022.

At the start of this article, we aimed to answer the question “what is 'high quality' education from the perspective of the international student?”

Overall, perceptions of the quality of education offered by the top anglophone study destinations are high (ranging from the US at the top with a rating of 8.5 to Ireland with 7.1). When we ask students what factors are most important in defining ‘high quality of education’, they indicated that ‘availability of graduate schemes’, ‘world renowned/high reputation institutions’, ‘wide range of academic programs’ and ‘post-study work policies’ are all critical factors.

There is a clear correlation in students’ minds between graduate employment opportunities and quality of education. Low provision of graduate opportunities may mean, in the minds of students, that the quality of education is not high. When students see that institutions have strong relationships with industry employers and provide good employment pathways, they see this as an indication that the high-quality education they have just acquired will be used and the skills they can bring to the country’s economy will be valued. Without favorable graduate employment opportunities in place, a destination is at risk of losing students.

Institutions must therefore make the following information abundantly clear to prospective students:

• What internship and employment opportunities are available

• The links they have to industry and local employers

• How they will help students enter the job market

• What career services are available specifically for international students

• How they can assist students in navigating the post-study work environment in relation to visas and policy

Institutions must be aware of what services international students need in place so they can be confident in their graduate outcome.

Instances of best practice should be researched and shared so that perceptions of destination countries will increase. Information should be clearly available to prospective students so they can see early in their research journey what will be available to them in terms of in-study education and post-study assistance.

Peer-to-peer content (user generated content written by real students already in the study destination) and connections with student ambassadors are especially important as prospective students often feel this is the most authentic and trustworthy information. Having alumni videos and case studies on your website provides positive and encouraging narratives that show graduate success. Also, having international student ambassadors available to assist students during their research is another very positive way to show prospective students that you have strong support systems in place to ensure they receive the help they will need to achieve their aspirations.

Simon Emmett, IDP Connect Chief Executive Officer, said: “It is more important than ever that we send the right messages to international students when they are researching their education options. A sector-wide commitment to providing top education outcomes that produce future world leaders, pioneering thinkers, talented artists, and global change-makers is key. Acknowledgement of the rich cultural, academic and economic contributions made by international students to communities will ensure countries are seen as welcoming and attractive.”

How IDP can help

Core Partners have access to our live demand data dashboards and research results dashboards, such as the full results of the Emerging Futures surveys. The data is fully drillable and dimensions can be set to display results which are important to individual campaigns and strategies; for example, the key drivers in understanding quality vary for individual source markets. Core Partners can use the dashboards to underpin their marketing messaging through an understanding of what is important to the students they are actively recruiting.

Our IQ Team deliver various key services including Consultancy that provides aggregated market analysis, a focus on actionable recommendations, easier access to data via consultancy dashboards and more.

IDP’s partners benefit from The Ambassador Platform (TAP) services, where prospective students can access peer-generated content across our sites and chat directly to student ambassadors to learn more about the institution.