The study presents data from 29 colleges and universities about their policies and plans for Chinese international student recruitment. The report gives detailed information on spending on overall marketing to reach Chinese students, as well as on particular marketing vehicles such as social media and other internet sales platforms, international student fair attendance, use of recruitment agents, partnerships and other means of recruiting students from China. The report gives specific data on use of particular tour operators, including EducationUSA. The study also gives data on the percentage of overall recruits from Hong Kong, and from Chinese citizens already living in the USA or other host institution countries, and how much is spent marketing to those already living in the institutional host’s own country. For many datasets, data is presented for the recent past, currently and projected. Other issues covered include: size of staff, use of Chinese speaking staff, trends in courses of study of Chinese nationals and much more. Just a few of the report’s many findings are that:
-
The survey suggests that WeChat is the most popular social media platform to recruit students in China among education institutions. More than quarter (27.6%) of the survey participants have used WeChat.
-
About 28% of colleges have a dedicated budget or allotment to reach prospect students in China.
-
31% of the community and 4-year colleges in the sample had Chinese speaking staff for use in their recruitment efforts.
-
Only 57% of Chinese students at MA/PHD granting colleges (excluding research universities) were in degree programs.