A survey of international students released on Tuesday showed that 86 percent are willing to stay in Taiwan to work under a new government policy this year to entice graduates into seeking employment in Taiwan.

The Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan in a news release announced the results of its annual online survey of students attending the Blue Ocean Education Exhibition.

This year, it collected 2,175 valid responses between January and Dec. 20 last year for its 2024 International Enrollment Blue Ocean Trend Report.

International students paint a mural in Changhua County’s Lukang Township on Oct. 22 last year.

Photo: Liu Hsiao-hsin, Taipei Times

Quality education was Taiwan’s top draw for most respondents at 24.75 percent, followed by a safe educational environment (15.4 percent) and opportunities to learn Chinese (14.47 percent).

The benefits of Taiwan’s affordable tuition fees and convenient geographical location were not cited as often at 10.4 percent and 4.49 percent respectively, despite being promoted as major selling points, the association said.

In September last year, the Cabinet approved a plan to encourage international students to stay by offering scholarships, help securing residency and new industry-academia joint programs.

The government aims to attract 320,000 international students to study in Taiwan by 2030, 210,000 of whom would stay after graduation for employment, boosting the ratio to 70 percent from 40 to 50 percent, the Ministry of Education said.

Asked about the program, 86 percent of survey respondents said they were willing to apply.

About 24 percent said they most value scholarship opportunities at their prospective university, followed by English course offerings at 17.28 percent and teaching quality at 14.45 percent.

As for hopes following graduation, 21.9 percent prioritized entering a suitable field, while 21.6 percent wanted to quickly find work.

The survey shows that students expect studying abroad to help with their career development, association chief executive officer Allen Hung (洪志衛) said.

Hung recommended that universities and language centers provide more admissions information, as well as guidance on finding internships and employment after graduation to attract more international students.