Chinese Students' Motivations for Studying in the United States.

The total number of international students in the higher education in the U.S. rose from 572,509 in 2003/04 to 886,052 in 2013/14, about 54.8% in the ten-year period, while the Chinese students rose from 61,765 to 274,439 during the same period, a 344% increase, according to Open Door report (Report of Open Door, 2015). Among the competing countries for the international students, the U.S. attracted over 20% of the total international students, and it was about 4.2% of the total number students enrolled in the U.S. universities and colleges. These international students and their families spent about US$27 billion in 2014, according to US government report (2015 Top Markets Report). By any measure, international education makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy. In New York State for example, the portion of this contribution was about US$3.2 billion, which accounts for over 10% of the national total contribution of international students. The economic impacts are not limited to the spending of these foreign students, but also their families residing in the host country (NAFSA Report). Attracting the best students from around the world has become a large and growing global export opportunity and source of competition (Zawacki-Richter & Bedenlier, 2015; Lumby & Foskett; 2015 Top Markets Report). Conversely, countries that see their students study abroad normally hope that these students return home and contribute to their home economy.The U.S. has maintained its leading position for attracting international students, while China has become the largest single source of international students studying in the United States. In 2013-14, China sent 274,439 students to the United States, an increase of 17% compared with the previous year. The Chinese students make up a commanding 31% of all international students, and have accounted for about two-thirds of the increase in total international student enrollments in the U.S. since 2003. This strong growth is likely to continue, presenting important export opportunities for U.S. colleges and universities (2015 Top Markets Report; Report of Open Door, 2015). Educators and researchers seek to understand this phenomenon and identify better ways to serve this population, not as an educational strategy, but also an international trade strategy. This research, through an empirical setting intends to explore the drives of Chinese students who choose to study in the U.S. in order to provide insights and direction for educators, university administrators, and trade administrators.LITERATURE REVIEWYung Wing might be the first Chinese student graduated from Yale in 1850. By 1880 there were mere 108 Chinese students studying in American universities, and almost no Chinese in European universities (The ChineseAmerican Museum of Chicago, 1880). Noticeably, China has become the largest single source of international student source for the U.S. schools in the recent years, about 31% in 2013/14. Figure 1 shows the growth of students from China, compared with the total international students.For thousands of years, education has been placed as a top priority by Chinese families and with China's economic reforms during the past decades leading a growth in wealth and a shrinking family size (only one child per family) sending children to international universities has become less burdensome. In the past decade, Chinese parents are tired of an education system that focuses mainly on academic scores at the expense of pupil's overall development, and many other drawbacks in China's educational system, make them seriously consider sending their children abroad for college education (Yan, 2015). American businesses, management knowhow, and capital have been flowing to China for the past 30 years, but it is education that reverses the tide. The benefits of studying abroad are felt both by individuals and entire nations. For these reasons educators and researchers are interested in the motivations that encourage Chinese students study in the U. …