Therefore, the author is interested in focusing on these highly mobilised Chinese UK
Master’s graduates to investigate whether economic returns act as the primary
motivating factor to studying abroad as is widely believed. In answering this question,
the current study recruited 67 UK Master’s (Chinese bachelor) graduates, with 22
Chinese university graduates (Chinese Master’s / Bachelors) as controls. The wage
premium of Master ’s degrees is calculated based on the Mincerian wage function. Via
analysing cost-benefit outcomes between the UK Master ’s and Chinese groups, the
importance in economic advantages is presented. Qualitative analysis of the
information provided by participants offers a new perspective in understanding the
motivations behind self-funded overseas study , and its interaction with pure economic
returns.