DO THEY WANT TO STAY OR DO THEY WANT TO RETURN? THE STAY INCLINATIONS FOR CHINESE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN A PUBLIC MID-WEST RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study expands understanding of Chinese international undergraduate students’ stay inclinations in the United States. It analyzed a sample of 247 Chinese undergraduate students from a public Midwestern research university during Spring 2017. This study compared the differences in stay inclinations between Chinese undergraduate students who completed the pathway program and those who were regularly admitted. Particularly, compared to Chinese undergraduate students who were not enrolled in the pathway program, Chinese undergraduate students who were enrolled in the pathway program were significantly more likely to apply for graduate schools after their studies. Meanwhile, Chinese undergraduate students who were enrolled in the pathway program were significantly less confident about achieving their goals than those who were not enrolled in the pathway program. This study validates the use of push-pull model for Chinese undergraduate students and confirm the importance of demographic characteristics, educational experiences, cultural and social factors, and post-graduation factors in relation to predicting stay inclinations for Chinese students studying in the United States when they graduate. The validity of the model was assessed using logistic regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and model fit was established. Specifically, major, GPA, perceived post-graduation factors in China, and perceived post-graduation factors in the U.S. are significant predictors for Chinese undergraduate students’ immigration decisions after their studies.