全球学生跨国流动的日益频繁是多种因素综合作用的结果。一方面，新兴经济体中产阶层人数的增加以及政府奖学金项目的增多，为全球留学领域持续繁荣提供了重要动力，留学已从先前的精英化转向大众化；另一方面，随着留学产业化的深入推进，以及国际金融危机导致发达经济体教育经费大幅削减，发达经济体更加看重留学生的学费收入，尤其加大了对新兴经济体生源的开发。与此同时，随着科技的发展和全球化的推进，留学变得更加广义，留学类型、方式和渠道日益多元化和个性化。中国作为世界上最大的留学生输出国，本科和高中层次留学生数量增长最为显著，并呈现以自费生为主、“尖子生”居多等特征。
Many factors influence the growing frequency of transnational mobility of students on a global scale. On the one hand，a burgeoning middle class in emerging economies and an increasing number of government scholarships provide momentum to the constant prosperity of global education. Studying abroad has transformed from an activity for the elite to an option for the more general public. On the other hand，many developed countries face the aftermath of economic deflation and therefore cut down education expenditure. So，they rely heavily on the tuition fees of overseas students. At the same time，as technology develops and globalization progresses，new methods for studying abroad emerge，becoming more diverse and individualized. China has exported the largest number of students studying abroad and university and high school students occupy a large portion. And more top students choose self-funding to study abroad.
