Summary
This paper reports on a survey of EU students (from outside the UK) studying in UK higher education institutions. The survey focused on students' reasons for choosing to study abroad and why they opted for a UK higher education institution. Students in our sample chose to study abroad for a variety of reasons but the broad and consistent themes to emerge were that they wanted to: broaden their horizons/experience other cultures; improve their labour market prospects; and improve their competence in English. Reasons for opting for a UK higher education institution differed between students who were studying for a degree in the UK and those who were studying for a short period in the UK (e.g. on a Socrates-Erasmus exchange). Other findings revealed that the student's family was the most frequently mentioned 'main source' of funds and that students were, overall, from privileged backgrounds. The most frequently mentioned individuals exerting a positive influence on the decision to study abroad were the student's mother, father and a close friend.