Factors influencing choice by foreign nationals to attend small private colleges and universities in the United States

The problem. The purpose of this study was to study the factors causing foreign students to decide to come to the United States to attend small private colleges and universities.; Method. An empirical study was conducted, and 300 students who were enrolled at small private colleges and universities across the United States were surveyed.; Results. The first hypothesis, which stated that there would be a reliable difference between respondents who were in the top third of wealth in their country of origin and those below the top third was supported. (The hypotheses were tested using the chi-square statistic to a .05 level of significance.) The second hypothesis, which predicted a correlation between the respondents being in the top third of wealth and a personal or family financial ability to study in the United States, was not supported. Other hypotheses that were supported included the importance of price, academic majors, Web site, and prestige in the decision to attend school in the United States. The eighth hypothesis, which was supported, stated that there would be a reliable difference between respondents who were attending the school of their first choice and those who were not. Results of the survey supported those factors involved in the foreign students' decision to attend a college or university in the United States and why they selected specific schools.; Two important findings emerged from the study: (a) Foreign students attending small private colleges and universities were not from families in the top third of wealth in their countries of origin, and (b) 42.6% of the respondents were not attending the college or university of their first choice.