20 11 ope n door s

Attitudes and Perceptions ofStudents from Asia: 			 					JMost respondents indicated making

apan was the top place of origin ofinternational students in the U.S. from1994/95 through 1997/98. However, in
recent years, the number of students fromJapan studying in the U.S. has declined
from a high of 46,872 students in 1999/00
to 21,290 in 2010/11, and Japan is now
the seventh leading place of origin ofinternational students in the U.S.
In fall and winter 2011, IIE collaborated
with EducationUSA and the Japan-UnitedStates Educational Commission (JUSEC)
to survey prospective Japanese study
abroad students on their attitudes andperceptions of the U.S. and other potential
host destinations. Students were also
asked about the obstacles facing study
abroad, their preferred destinations,
intended fields of study, reasons forstudying abroad and primary sources of
information on study in the U.S.
Of the 776 valid responses received, 55
percent were from male respondents and45 percent were from female respondents.
Over half (56 percent) had already decided
to study abroad at the time of the survey,
while 42 percent were just beginningto consider studying overseas and two
percent had already studied abroad.

30

professional contacts as their main reason
for studying abroad (54 percent), followedby the cultural experience (51 percent) andDestination

First
ChoiceAlternate
ChoiceUnited States

80.5%

12.7%

United Kingdom

6.1%

29.5%

Canada

4.8%

20.9%

preparing for a future career abroad or inAustralia

2.9%

13.0%

a foreign-based company (43 percent).

Germany

0.8%

3.2%

France0.8%

3.0%

Respondents were also interested in

Singapore

0.8%

2.1%

conducting specific research projects orFinland

0.7%0.6%

studies not available at home (14 percent)

All Others

2.6%

12.7%

TOTAL

100.0%

n/aand improving their English language
skills (four percent). Respondents could
indicate more than one reason.

Figure 15A: Preferred Study Abroad Destinations
for Prospective Students from Japan

Respondents were interested in pursuing avariety of different types of study abroad,engineering (ten percent) and math orincluding graduate degrees (37 percent),

computer science (seven percent).

undergraduate degrees (29 percent), shortterm (non-degree) study (20 percent),
professional degrees, such as an MBA, JD
or MD (18 percent) and two-year degrees
or certificates (12 percent). Respondents
could select more than one choice.

The United States was the most popular
first-choice destination listed in an open
response question, with 81 percent ofrespondents citing the U.S. as their firstchoice destination (Fig. 15A). The United
Kingdom was the second most popular

The social sciences (including American

first-choice destination, with six percent

studies and international relations) wasof the total, followed by Canada with fivethe most popular intended field of study

percent and Australia with three percent.

(chosen by 28 percent of respondents),
followed by business and management(26 percent), language study (24 percent),
humanities (16 percent), education (13percent), fine or applied arts (12 percent),
physical or life sciences (12 percent),

Perceptions of Prospective Students

Among possible alternate destinations,
if their first choice was not available, 30
percent of respondents listed the U.K., 21
percent listed Canada and 13 percent eachlisted Australia and the U.S.

open doo r s					20 11Japan			Percent of Respondents																Dimension
USAUK
CanadaAustralia Singapore

Respondents from Japan tended to be
more strongly influenced by others withregard to their educational decisions

Wide range of schools and programs

77.8

46.1

22.3

11.3

11.2

High quality higher education system

68.9

19.5

11.6

10.4

2.8

Welcomes international students

60.2

14.7

26.8

31.7

16.0

Expensive tuition

60.1

11.7

16.9

18.8

5.4

as the most important influence on their

Good student support services

50.9

44.1

12.6

8.4

3.7

educational decisions, 18 percent cited

Many scholarship opportunities

50.65.7

6.8

6.4

2.3

High cost of living

38.8

19.5

5.8

4.3

2.8

Good lifestyle for students

35.4

14.9

45.2

34.8

20.6

friends or classmates and 13 percent

Costly school application process

30.4

50.0

11.7

8.1

7.9

cited parents.

Language barrier

30.1

36.5

20.9

14.8

11.2

Difficult to get a student visa

25.6

17.0

3.6

3.0

3.9

Over half (54 percent) of respondents

Safe place to study

8.8

30.5

23.2

24.7

28.9

cited		

Figure 15B: Impressions of Key Host Destinations of Prospective Students from Japanthan their peers outside Asia. While 37
percent of respondents cited themselvesteacher or professors, 17 percent cited

theFulbright/EducationUSA

advising office, fairs, events and website
as one of their top sources of information
on study in the U.S. Other sources

Compared to four other popular hostplace to study. Only a small proportion

include teachers or professors (cited bydestinations for Japanese students, the U.S.

of prospective Japanese students (nine29 percent), friends or classmates (26was perceived as a study destination withpercent) felt the U.S. was a safe place topercent), and the Internet or news media

a wide range of schools and programs,

study and about one quarter (26 percent)(25 percent).

a high quality higher education system

felt that it would be difficult to obtain a visa

and that welcomes international students

to study in the U.S.

by a much higher proportion of students
than for the other countries (Fig. 15B).
However, the majority of respondents (60percent) also felt that tuition at U.S. colleges
and universities was expensive, althoughmost (51 percent) recognized that a largenumber of scholarships are available.
Canada was seen as the destination withthe best lifestyle for students, and theUnited Kingdom was seen as the safest

The Japan-United States EducationalCommission (JUSEC) was establishedBy far the greatest obstacle to studying

in 1979 in order to promote mutual

abroad was cost, cited by almost three-understanding between Japan and thequarters of survey respondents (73United States through the Fulbrightpercent), regardless of destination. OtherProgram. JUSEC’s activities include theobstacles include gaining acceptance toFulbright Exchange and Grant Program,the institution of their choice (39 percent),

educational advising , Fulbright Alumni

studying in a foreign language (also 39

activities andpercent), and finding accurate informationexchange projects. For more information,(38 percent).

please see www.fulbright.jp.

special educationalIIE31