International students' socioeconomic affluence and staying likelihood

Abstract

This paper investigates the relationship between international university students' staying likelihood and their socioeconomic affluence. It contributes to a literature that explores the role of socioeconomic differences in selection into international student mobility, but rarely considers their association with the staying likelihood. The analysis is based on a primary data set of 3205 observations collected among international students at 27 universities in the United Kingdom and Czechia. Several explanations, translated into hypotheses, are statistically tested, which complements the predominantly qualitative studies in the field. The results show that students with less affluent parents, defined in terms of income, are more likely to stay. A substantial part of this relationship is explained by these students placing greater emphasis on career-related considerations when making their staying decision, as emphasizing these considerations is associated with a higher staying likelihood.