What makes international students satisfied with a Japanese university?

The present study investigated the satisfaction of international students. The factor analysis revealed the three factors of ‘learning and research’, ‘living and adaptation’ and ‘Japanese language ability’. The ten variables were used to predict the satisfaction of international students and found five significant variables in predicating the satisfaction of international students. These were suitability of curriculum, progress of research, having a good friend, cultural adaptation and part-time work. Among these, the suitability of the curriculum was the most significant predictor. Furthermore, the path analysis for learning and research indicated significant mutual causal relationships between research progress and supervisor’s advice. The level of Japanese language skills is not necessarily required to receive advice from their supervisors, although Japanese language skills help to understand the content of classes.