Decision Making Model of Vietnamese Students Studying Higher Education in England

Universities in England are now paying more attention to the Vietnamese student market for purposes of campus diversity and recruitment. The primary purpose of this paper is to have a better understanding of Vietnamese students' motives and drives to study abroad. More specifically, this study targets students studying in a public research university in England. To examine Vietnamese students' decision-making processes for choosing a university, the research is conducted in two stages: focus groups and then structured interviews. Findings reveal that the primary reason why Vietnamese students want to study abroad is because of parents' demands and English higher education qualifications. Secondly, it is because they want to achieve better qualifications to improve job prospects. Students do not fully trust agencies; however, they receive the most significant amount of information from agencies and subsequently verify their information with friends, alumni, and other independent authorities. Regarding choosing a university, the first and most influential factor is tuition fees and living costs, followed by course modules. In general, students are satisfied with course modules and services at the university. Although the findings are limited to the sample respondents that were Vietnamese students at this particular university, they are useful for university management and international recruitment offices to improve services provided to students during the recruitment process. This study provides a better understanding of factors influencing Vietnamese international students' decision-making process.