Study choices and returns of international students: On the role of cultural and economic capital of the family

Our study analyses connections between the economic and cultural capital of the families of international students, their study choices, and postgraduation returns. Thus far, research on brain drain has focused either on actual returns or on the intentions of students to return. Literature exploring the selectivity of international student mobility interpreted the middle class background of the students as a distinction strategy in a situation of expanding tertiary education in the source country. However, the connection between the cultural and economic capital of the student's family and postgraduation returns has not yet been analysed. Our results, based on a survey of parents of internationally mobile students from Slovakia, confirm the previously reported selectivity of international student mobility. Internationally mobile students come more often from families with a higher level of cultural capital. Moreover, students from families with high cultural capital have a higher probability of studying in more prestigious study destinations. The study destination is, however, not influenced by the economic capital of the family. We use structural equation modelling to describe the connection observed between cultural and economic capital and postgraduation returns. Although a high level of cultural capital increases the odds of nonreturn, a high level of economic capital increases the chance of postgraduation return. We suggest that such a cultural capital drain could have positive consequences on vertical labour market mobility in the source country. We discuss the connection between international student mobility and labour migration in the case of international students from low income families.