International Students Assess Reputation, Cost, and Career Opportunities for Master’s Programs

NEW YORK, NY–(October 5, 2015) – International students have become an essential student body across many U.S. campuses. How Master’s Students Choose Institutions: Research on International Student Segmentation  is a new report from the non-profit World Education Services. It provides a lens into the institutional preferences of nearly 2,400 U.S.-bound international students seeking master’s degrees.

The findings suggest that U.S. colleges and universities can improve their international recruitment and enrollment strategies by understanding and recognizing key differences in international students based on their home country, financial resources and the unique value proposition of each university.

The report, the fourth in a series from World Education Services, expands upon an international student segmentation framework. Despite the growing importance of international master’s students in the U.S., there is little research about how international students from different parts of the world, determine which institutions to apply to and enroll. This WES report seeks to fill a research gap by examining institutional attributes and characteristics including school reputation, career prospects, location and cost.

Key findings include: 

International admissions experts from U.S. schools will speak about admissions, scholarships, language-proficiency exams, and other topics.

• Nearly half (48 percent) of international master’s students reported that career prospects are the most important factor when considering where to apply and enroll.
• Seventy-six percent of Chinese master’s students chose private institutions as “reach schools,” while approximately 70 percent of Indian master’s students preferred public institutions.
• Fifty-four percent of master’s students from Sub-Saharan Africa have a budget of less than $20,000 per year for their studies, while 40 percent of Middle Eastern master’s students can afford more than $40,000.

About WES
World Education Services (WES) is a non-profit organization that enables the global mobility of students and professionals through our extensive knowledge, trusted research, and expert advice. For 40 years, we have set the standard of excellence in the field of international mobility by providing world class credential evaluations, research and advisory services, and on-going support for students and skilled immigrants.