Push–Pull Determinants of Chinese Undergraduates’ Intentions and Decisions to Study in Asia: Evidence from Anhui Province

This study investigates how domestic “push” pressures and destination “pull” attractions shape Chinese undergraduates’ intentions and final decisions to study elsewhere in Asia. Grounded in push–pull theory, we specified a mediation model in which study-abroad intention transmits the effects of push/pull factors to the ultimate decision. A cross-sectional survey of 513 students from 25 universities in Anhui Province, China, was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Push factors such as competitive postgraduate entrance pressure and employment challenges and pull factors including university conditions, social security, costs, and geographic proximity were positively associated with intention (β_push=0.515, p<0.001; β_pull=0.232, p<0.001). Intention, in turn, significantly predicted the decision to study abroad. Indirect effects via intention were significant for both push and pull constructs; the direct path from pull to the decision remained significant, whereas the direct path from push to the decision was not, indicating full mediation for push factors and partial mediation for pull factors. This is the first empirical test of push–pull mechanisms for intra-Asian student mobility in a developing regional context of China. We outline actionable implications for regional higher education stakeholders, including cross-border university partnerships, curriculum alignment with regional labor-market needs, and improvements to student-facing infrastructure and safety, to enhance Asia’s attractiveness as a study destination.