Mobility of mainland Chinese students across national borders has become common worldwide; however, the underlying reasons that motivate these students to pursue postgraduation abroad and why these factors are influential are not sufficiently studied. By analyzing the results of a case study performed at three British universities, we examine the motivations of mainland Chinese students for choosing courses and study locations in the United Kingdom. Based on data we collected via questionnaires and interviews, we compare demographic differences to explore the diversity among this cohort. Our findings show that motivations for overseas education are related to conditions in China and abroad. In addition, older students and those in MA programs are more strongly influenced by a need to experience different cultures; younger students and those in MSc programs are more strongly driven by academics-related factors. Our findings have important implications for universities to develop more effective selection policies particularly for target mainland Chinese students.
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