• higher education
• international
• mobility
• student
• trends

The field of international student recruitment has come to occupy an ever more central position for higher education strategists and decision-makers in the last few decades. This diverse, dynamic and increasingly competitive sector is of significant economic value for individual higher education institutions and also for wider national economies, both in established study destinations and emerging ones. But yet, the body of knowledge available about international applicants and their motivations, choices and attitude towards online resources remains limited. This research aims to contribute to this essential field, specifically focusing on international students applying for degree courses at graduate level. The results provide insights into applicants’ preferred study destinations and subjects, the most important factors they identify when choosing about their education, their expectations and hopes for the future and their digital preferences when researching about higher education online.