An investigation of the push–pull factors influencing student selection of higher education: The case of Arabian Gulf students in theUK

Abstract

The internationalization of students in tertiary education has increased worldwide for the past 20 years. International students (IS) are considered consumers of Higher Education (HE) in host countries and are often a significant contributor to many countries' economies. This paper explores the push and pull factors that influence international Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) students to select Higher Education in the UK as a preferred destination of choice and the potential implications this may have for the wider international student body. The authors utilized face‐to‐face interviews and purposive sampling of 40 undergraduate students from a university in the UK North West. The sample was nationals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. NVivo11 software was utilized by the researchers to facilitate data management and analysis. Analysis revealed six main push factors that led those sampled to depart their home country and pursue their university education in the UK. Alternatively, there were 10 pull factors that encouraged GCC students to pursue their university education in the UK. It is imperative that UK Higher Education institutions/universities are cognizant of the push/pull factors that boost GCC international students' intake at their institutions since there is an observable decline in international student numbers in recent years that can negatively impact the said universities and the wider UK economy.