Australia v. USA: Indian engineering students pursuing graduate degrees abroad, an analysis of factors influencing the choice and location of institution

The global market of higher education is growing at a rapid pace. Prospective graduate students in engineering have more options -- domestically and internationally -- than ever before. At this moment, the international setting of engineering graduate programs continues to shift and expand. This study analyzes the decision-making processes of students from India who pursue graduate education in Australia and the United States of America. In this setting, decision-making processes of student choice were examined after study participants selected higher education institutions in Australian and U.S. The research question is: why do graduate degree-seeking engineering students from India pursue studies in the United States and Australia? In addressing this central question, this study seeks to understand the decision-making processes of students from India by undertaking a multi-methodological approach to the study of selection and choice of graduate institutions abroad.