Why country preference matters for international student experience

The 2025 International Student Experience Survey has recently closed.  Many thanks to all providers who encouraged participation from their current or recent students. 

As we grow our timeseries we aim to look below the topline findings for additional nuggets of information.  For example, in our analysis of the 2024 International Student Experience Survey we looked at how a first-choice preference of study destination may impact eventual student experience.  

Summary of findings 

• 78% of international students currently or recently studying with a New Zealand provider reported that New Zealand was their number one choice of study destination. 
• Of the 22% of respondents for whom New Zealand was not their first choice, Australia was most preferred (32%), followed by the USA (17%), Canada (15%), and the UK (14%).
• The most common reasons people gave for selecting a country other than New Zealand as their first choice of study destination was that their preferred country has ‘a good standard of living/is a developed country’ (26%), good institutions/education providers (24%), ‘a high quality of education’ (23%), and ‘good employment opportunities’ (23%).
• Country preference matters for student experience: Overall, experience scores were higher for those who reported that New Zealand was their first-choice destination for international education (median score 8 out of 10) compared to those for whom New Zealand was not their first choice (median score 7 out of 10). This effect persisted controlling for age, gender, subsector, and home country.

ENZ’s Director of Insights, Marie Clark, says that her team will be looking to focus on more of these sorts of insights for the coming year.

“With global policy changes impacting student decision making around country preference, it is important to understand how this might flow on to influence student experience and, even more importantly, actions providers can take to improve the experience of students for whom New Zealand may not have been the first choice for a study destination,” Marie says. 

Recommendations for education providers to ensure a positive student experience

Irrespective of whether New Zealand is a prospective or current international student’s preferred study destination, education providers can take the following actions before and during the student application phase and after enrolment to ensure a positive overall student experience. 

Prospective decision-making phase

1.    Clearly articulate the benefits of studying in New Zealand, followed by benefits offered by specific locations and education providers to ensure that students have a broad idea of the New Zealand way of life.

2.    Identify the key drivers of choice for your target students and if those drivers focus around country, course or provider choice.

3.    Ensure that those supporting student decision-making are equipped with the same knowledge as well as how New Zealand compares to the alternative destinations that the prospective student may be considering.

Application and enrolment phase

4.    Invest in pre-arrival communications, take the time to reinforce the choice of destination with both the international students and their influencers.

5.    Ensure pre-arrival communications address common challenges or challenges regularly highlighted by international students of a similar demographic.

6.    Consider how international students can begin to build their networks and local connections to ensure a smooth transition.

During study 

7.    Identify if there are a group of students at your institution, who may have been actively considering an alternative destination.

8.    Look at which aspects of student experience have the most impact on overall experience and invest your resources there. For example, enhancements to living experience scores are likely to have the most impact on overall student experience.