Chinese Education Agent Views of American Community Colleges

Abstract

In an era of increasing global competition in education related markets, many higher education institutions in the United States have come to realize the need to market better for international students. Community colleges are no exception and have become increasingly active in recruiting international students using education agents. Using in-depth interviews with eight education agents in China, we explored education agents’ experiences in promoting community colleges. The findings from this research identified factors that may lead to or prohibit success in marketing community colleges in China. This study provides researchers, administrators, and admissions officers at American community colleges with a better understanding about how community colleges are perceived by Chinese parents and students. The study also shows how colleges can work efficiently with Chinese education agents.