Abstract

International student enrolments are an increasingly important part of global higher education. Research
indicates that the cost of education is an important factor which influences the students’ choice of study
destination. Given the rising cost of education, a comparative analysis of the cost of education is likely to give
certain countries a competitive edge. The primary focus of this paper is to compare the cost of undergraduate
business education in countries competing for a share in the international student market. Data for this paper was
drawn from a range of published secondary sources and includes tuition fees, living costs and visa expenses as
these components are considered unavoidable for international students. Findings from this study suggest that
Malaysia and the UAE have an advantage over the other competing countries in terms of cost. The paper
concludes with implications for universities and policy makers and directions for further research.

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