Pull factors influencing enrollment of Mainland Chinese students in Taiwanese universities: An empirical analysis

A rapidly declining birthrate in Taiwan has placed pressure on universities to bolster waning enrollment. At the same time, Mainland China is becoming an enormous exporter of international students, and the close geographic proximity between Taiwan and China has resulted in many Chinese students enrolling in Taiwanese institutions. Between 2012 and 2013, over 75% of Chinese exchange students studied in the United States, Great Britain, Australia, or Canada. In contrast, Taiwan was unable to attract a meaningful number of these students. Thus, the issue of whether institutions in Taiwan appeal to Mainland Chinese students is worthy of exploration. This study recruited 228 Chinese students that studied at universities in 2012 in order to identify factors that influenced the enrollment of students from Mainland China in Taiwan. Survey results led us to four important findings as follows: 1) sociocultural and school-related factors had the biggest influence on the decision to study in Taiwan; 2) college selection did not influence pull factors, learning satisfaction, or the intention to pursue further education; 3) school-related and personal factors influenced learning satisfaction as well as the intention to pursue further education; and 4) learning satisfaction has a direct and mediating influence on the intention to pursue further education. These findings yield recommendations that can serve as a reference for Taiwanese universities.