Where next? Destinations for business education.
09 September 2024
Andrew Crisp looks at where international business students choose to study and why, and which may be their future preference for a study destination.
For international business students, the choice of where to study is often a combination of a country and a particular business school, with one more important than the other depending on the student. The new Business of Branding report from CarringtonCrisp and EFMD, found that the USA was back on top as a study destination, but whether that will remain the case and where students might want to study next is in doubt.
Undoubtedly, government policies on higher education and immigration play a role in student choice of where to study. Prospective students may not be aware of the policy detail, instead a negative headline reporting policy change is enough to move perceptions of a destination.
The previous Business of Branding study put the UK ahead of the USA as a study destination, but the UK government changed arrangements for international students, preventing the majority of them bringing dependents to the UK when they are studying. Add in negative media coverage of the UKs approach to migrants, and international students were faced with uncertainty about aspects of study in the UK.
Perceptions play an important role in student decision-making. Half the respondents to the Business of Branding consider the USA to have a good range of quality business schools and to be attractive to international students, more so than any of the other countries assessed in the study. The USA is also most likely across the nine countries to be perceived as having a strong and dynamic economy (47%), offer opportunities to work after graduation (46%) and to have been recommended by a friend (40%).
For those who want to work in a country after studying, and perhaps have a friend who is an alumnus and is now working in that country, there is strong evidence that might encourage their choice of where to study.
The UK is most likely to be considered welcoming to international students (45%) and easiest to get a visa for study (36%). India is least likely to be considered an expensive place to study (11%) followed closely by China (13%), while the USA (49%) is most likely to be considered an expensive place to study followed by the UK (41%).
It’s rare that there is only one reason for considering a country as a study destination and individuals will balance positive and negative considerations in making their decision. Looking to the future, international students may be influenced by further considerations – in Australia there is a cap proposed on international student numbers, while in Canada new restrictions have been outlined on the amount of time an international student can work while studying, and in the USA, political uncertainty in the lead up to the November Presidential election.
Given all of these factors, where might business students choose to study next? Germany is increasingly likely to be on a list of potential destinations. Business schools are a relatively new phenomena in Germany but among the Business of Branding respondents 30% believe Germany has a good range of quality business schools, still behind the USA and UK, but ahead of Australia (26%) and just behind Canada (31%). A similar percentage (31%) believe Germany is welcoming to international students, only just behind Australia at 32%, while 33% believe it offers opportunities to work after graduation, compared with 30% for Australia. Only 26% believe Germany is an expensive place to study compared with 49% for the USA. German business schools look like an increasingly attractive destination for international students.
The next round of the Business of Branding study will take place in April 2025.