Correspondence: Liang-Hsuan Chen, Department of Management, University of Toronto at Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada. Phone: (416) 287 7335; Fax: (416) 921 2575; Email: liangc@utsc.utoronto.ca

¹is a lecturer in Accounting in the Department of Management at the University of Toronto at Scarborough and an associate faculty member at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto (OISE/UT). Her research interests include college choice, graduate education, international education, professional education, teaching, learning, and the student experience. Liang is an elected member of the Board of Governors of the Certified General Accountants of Ontario. She holds an MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania, an MBA from the University of Toronto, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from OISE/UT.

Received 6 October 2007; Revised 6 October 2007.

Abstract

This study seeks to explain why and how international graduate students from East Asia choose to come to Canada to pursue advanced education, to assess the strengths and dynamics of the factors influencing the enrollment decision, and to describe possible implications both for education-exporting countries and universities offering graduate education. A synthesis model is developed to explain their decision-making process, while a push–pull model is used to understand the strengths of and relationships among various factors that influence the choice of a country, institution, program, and city. The research sample comprised 140 students from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan who enrolled in graduate programs at two large Ontario universities. The research shows a three-stage process, guided first by the focus of the program (i.e. research-oriented versus professional programs). Other factors—country, institution, and city—interplay simultaneously at the later two stages. The research findings reveal the significant influence of academic (Academic Pulling Factors and Administrative Pulling Factors), economic, environmental, and visa/immigration pulling factors as well as a set of negative pushing factors from third countries such as the United States. This research suggests that to attract top international graduate students, policy makers and institutional administrators should focus on investing in research and ensuring the quality of graduate education, while devoting efforts and resources to the internationalization of graduate education, as well as crafting a national marketing strategy to enhance awareness of and the overall image of their higher education institutions and programs.