Improving the Student Experience: Learning From a Comparative Study of International Student Satisfaction

Abstract

This article evaluates the degree to which international students are satisfied with different dimensions of their university experience, namely, their arrival, living, learning, and support service experiences. Using quantitative survey research methods based on data from the International Student Barometer (ISB), the study evaluates the experience of over 45,000 degree-seeking, undergraduate international students at 96 different institutions in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Multiple regression analyses indicated that all four dimensions of satisfaction were positively associated with students’ overall university experience, and the article reveals which of the four is the most influential. To the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first time that a comparative meta-analysis of ISB data across institutions in the three chosen countries has been undertaken. Key implications are discussed for how university administrators, practitioners, and researchers might best allocate resources to support and enhance the experience of international students, leading to more effective institutional recruitment and retention strategies. The study also offers a baseline for future research on international student satisfaction.