ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Educ.
Sec. Higher Education
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1618524
This article is part of the Research TopicIntercultural Communication and International StudentsView all 16 articles
Exploring the Influence of Social Media Communication and Brand Image on International Student Enrollment Intentions in Higher Education
Provisionally accepted
- 1Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 2Guangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Laibin, China
- 3Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
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This study examines how social media communication and brand image influence international students' enrollment intentions in higher education institutions, particularly in response to China's declining birth rate and increasing number of college graduates. Official data projects an "overcapacity" of over 2.79 million in mainland China's universities by 2024, with an excess rate of 23.6%. Strategies such as enhancing institutional standards and expanding international student enrollment are being considered to address these trends.Using data from 156 foreign students at three upgraded colleges in Guangxi, this paper explores the roles of user-generated and school-generated contents in social media communication, as well as brand image development factors. Partial least squares regression was employed to evaluate the measurement model and hypotheses.The analysis reveals that social media communication and brand image positively affect brand preference, with brand image mediating their relationship. Interactivity, transparency, and authenticity on social media platforms, along with academic reputation, internationalization, and cultural diversity, significantly influence enrollment intentions. This research offers practical guidance for universities aiming to enhance their brand image via social media to attract more international students, addressing demographic and institutional challenges.
Keywords: social media communication, brand image, International students, Enrollment intention, higher education, Academic reputation, internationalization, Cultural Diversity
Received: 15 May 2025; Accepted: 25 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ren, Shuwu, Quan, Xiao and Alfiya. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Haixia Ren, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
Abinova Alfiya, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan
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