In searching the knowledge, many perceptions appear due to the different kinds of people gathered in the same place and controlled by one institution with the same systems and policies. Before discussing their perception towards the facilities, Table 5 shows students’ preferences to choose India as the selected country to continue their higher degree. One hundred twenty participants in total gave their responses through the questionnaire.

As shown in Table 5, better education was the reason why international students selected India to continue their studies. Even though some other reasons, such as India was well-known for quality and several participants claimed that India was a good country to create professional opportunities, students considered learning outside of their home country would benefit them more.

Moreover, most of the students opted to continue their study with all academic degrees as their course of study as the admission process is easy, specifically 53.3%. Another thing, other participants stated that India was a safe place to study, devoid of war and conflict.

From the perspective of the procedure to get admission, international students reviewed the process onto the smooth step, since the proportion of data shows the highest answer is 45.8% in not complicated procedure.

Furthermore, the cost of living in Hyderabad was mostly described as low by international students, which prompted many students to begin their studies at public universities. Moreover, the cost of living in Hyderabad was high, while five percent of the students agreed that the cost of living in the region was meager. Related to the perception of tuition at a public university, it was found that students considered it to be inexpensive. This perhaps made students also rent a house, since it was discovered that 89.2% did not stay in foreign hostels.

In Table 6, the total mean of undergraduates, master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees demonstrated the value of the average score. It can be proved that the infrastructure gained a mean score of 3 (satisfied) from a 4-point rating scale. Moreover, a low standard deviation indicates that there is less variation in the data as it tends to converge closer to the mean value. On the other hand, a high standard deviation indicates significant variances in the data since it indicates that the data tend to be distributed more widely than the mean value. Hence the data can be said homogenous.

From the data on the undergraduate degree, only the availability of books in the library stands out (3.54). It could be seen that the availability of books in the library, four items, remains relatively low. Among master students, two elements are decent -water availability (3.48) and library (3.44), and three are poor in terms of sports room and activities (2.59), washroom (2.59), and locker desk (2.78). Lastly, a doctoral degree has one the lowest item voted, which is identical to the master's degree students, namely sports room and activities (2.5).

Further, international students illustrated that there are not enough sports rooms, and no maintenance of the restrooms, and canteen. In fact, those infrastructures are also important things to support students. Additionally, there are no cafeterias or comfortable study spaces in the college that can give contented vibes for students to sit with friends and discuss things related to their work.

The result of retrieving the international students’ perceptions of the quality of instruction on their campus is depicted in Table 7.

The result of standard deviation from means on undergraduate degree, masters, and doctoral deviation shows a low number or less in variation. It implies that the data is also homogeneous. Additionally, the mean value from most items shows that students have different perceptions of the university's quality of instruction. The data might vary in mean number among those three degrees, but the overall number shows the rates are satisfied from a point scale.

Nevertheless, to qualities of the institution in providing classroom interaction and the aspects of integrated teaching and learning resources have shown good teaching and learning support. The pattern showed data for students at every grade level, beginning with graduate, master's, and doctoral programs.

Further, the most obvious item was the difficulties in communicating. This was simultaneously felt by all students in different degree programs, who mentioned being highly dissatisfied with this point. The table also showed that the utilization of ICT in terms of quality performances is suboptimal from those three degrees. Additionally, students of all levels expressed satisfaction with the books’ accessibility. It demonstrates the number of satisfied results from the standard deviation outcome.

To explore what improvements are essential to enhance international students' educational experiences as labeled as the third research problem, the authors utilized a set of eight questions extracted from the questionnaire employing the quality performance theory (Mergen et al., 2000)(Whelan & McGuinness, 2020)(Widrick et al., 2002).

Questions cover dimensions such as how students perceive the facilities used for higher education classes, course perception quality in higher education, the element of quality of conformance, and the quality of performance aspect from the total quality performance theory. Items are standardized but adaptable and can be tailored for a particular information. The following are the ‘statement’ (S) from the additional question given in interview section:

S1. Preference, and factors for pursuing education in another country

S2. Whether or not facilities and equipment as part of the college’s infrastructure in each program are up to students’ expectations

S3. If the academic resources, such as libraries and research materials, sufficient for students needs

S4. Perception towards the availability and maintenance of campus facilities, such as study spaces, cafeterias, and recreational areas

S5. If students must rate the quality of teaching and faculty expertise in their program

S6. Any support service available in your institution such as language support services for non-native English speakers

S7. Whether or not institutions provide support for students' academic growth and success

S8. The biggest strength of this institution in serving international students

The results from S1 on interviews with students mentioned that they preferred to go to other countries because of the scholarship program (see E1).

The results from S1 on interview with students mentioned that they preferred to go to other country because of the scholarship program (see E1).

Excerpt (E1): “The first attempt I got accepted at one university in India, but I didn’t get any sponsorship, the second attempt, I tried again, and chose other institutions, and consulted with my friend, fortunately, the scholarship from ICCR.”(I1)

E1 reflects the factors that influence the decision. Scholarship programs currently attract most international students. The government indeed needs to maintain such programs and attempt to provide more scholarship grants for more international students. The offer, of course, should meet the needs and expectations of the student candidates considering higher education is a service organization for the educational sector, specifically when it comes to the support for foreign students.

In interview section, one student from Iraq said that he and his friend thought that learning in India was quite safe, especially for those who came from war countries such as Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and others. Above all, other students stated there was a need for new experiences in which many of them are from Indonesia, Thailand, and China. Notably, there were many motives and expectations of international students towards the higher education they are pursuing. One student claimed that no matter what, the fact the living cost is not expensive. That is the reason why the point supports the answer from Table 5 that fewer international students wanted to reside in hostels, and had their own flats or rental houses, as proved by I4 in E2.

E2: “... during my study, I rented a house with 2 Indonesian friends, after a while, I moved alone, and it’s quite affordable with my scholarship money for living.”(I4)

Moreover, informants additionally claimed that they were reasonably unsatisfied with the hostel’s facilities, which were related to the health issues in the neighborhood around the hostel and the variety of food, which was hardly changed. Nonetheless, the preference of foreign scholars to study abroad and their expectation of the standard the university offered was probably very high. However, the actual situation did not meet their expectation.

Moreover, related to S2 from the interview list, the institution was lack of infrastructure, such as the availability of Infocus, not to mention using smart TV, the campus was still trying to use old stuff such as chalks to write and projectors for presentations in many classes, as revealed by I2 in E3.

E3: “… what can I say, actually we were using chalk, may be expected some other thing, it’s very conventional, but maybe that’s their style, to keep the old style, old building, maybe they kept the heritage in my degree.”(I2)

Furthermore, related to S3 and S4, the students expressed their opinions about the most frustrating thing related to the laboratory and computer lab. That is because the officials put a limit and access to the lab as it followed the working hours of staff. Another thing, some of the lab equipment was still not enough as admitted by I1, who also worked on the lab. She claimed that they did the practicum manually without enough lab equipment (see E4).

E4: “… in my experience working in the lab at that time, we ever used straws and suck the material, what I saw, was my friend ever sucked one liquid substance and suddenly he swallowed that stuff, next day he missed the class because he was sick, basically the stuff is not expensive especially in India since they can produce it.”(I1)

Contrarily, I3 who undertaking a master’s degree mentioned that the lab facilities contributed to the par result during practicum (see E5).

E5: “… the lab, including the manual, helps me to carefully utilize particular instruments. I think lab visitors need to prepare themselves before using any tools in it. If the help is absent, you just can use the internet there for more information.”(I3)

It contradicts with students taking graduate courses, as in E4. The interview results show that international students gave a good perception of several facilities provided by colleges. However, others such as the activity rooms should have been provided with decent internet access. Meanwhile, during the interview section, it was also found that the accessible for the availability of the library resulted in the outstanding point. Students thought the college library had prepared enough books and journals, without spending time in the main library. Each college provide their library instead of the main library on the main campus. Also, other facilities such as drinking water are good as they can drink the water directly from the tap. However, international students said they often brought their water, and only took water tap when they did not bring their mineral water.

Moreover, the identical result from S5 among the interview question list also existed. The result explained that students were satisfied during their study. From the side of doctoral and master’s degrees (see E6), they enjoyed and had an enormous discussion with lecturers, and easily found the professors in their office to share any information.

E6: “… we had many experienced professors, many of them are visiting professors, like UK, Australia, and other countries, yes, it is like lecturing, but as we do higher education, there is room for discussion there. As I remember, only one lecture did one-way teaching, and most of them treated us like an adult who could discuss many things, perhaps I major in literature and interpretation, I don’t know other major....”(I3)

Another thing, one answer pointed out was that the informant and her classmate were directly invited by the psychology lecturer to her office to serve chai, an Indian authentic tea milk, for one by one while discussing the developmental theory in psychology class. Similarly, students with master’s degrees also mentioned that they freely joined any seminar in their college, including attending the viva conference from PhD candidates. Meanwhile, this perception was not the same as felt by undergraduates, as voiced by I1 in E7.

E7: “… Indian academy is like more teacher-oriented, when we have exams, we should write as many as possible, we just listen, we were passive like we didn’t expand our curiousity, critical thinking,….”(I1)

However, one thing that I1 appreciated from that lecturer was they had a good technique to make science students construct a good foundation in remembering the theory, which surprisingly inspired him to continue his doctoral degree in the USA, after completing his master’s degree in China. Nevertheless, I1 also claimed that it would be beneficial if lecturers also change the varieties of teaching methods, to make students not feel bored in the class.

On another side, related to S6, I4, as displayed in E8, admitted that the language course was available, but it is not free, students have to pay independently.

E8: “… I remember that I took a Germany course, not an English course, and you took France right, but there was no option to take English course, and we had to pay, that time was winter, and we often walked early morning.”(I4)

The data based on S7 and S8 illustrated that institutions have supported them in different ways, although it depends on the students. I3 in E9 claimed that his experiences pursuing his degree have given him communication skills.

E9: “… for me like my job for example, every phase in education brought impact, of course institution gave impact, my experience to have different friends during my course, many students were foreigners, from many different countries with different cultures. Now, I work in a US company in which workers also coming from Taiwan, the Middle East countries, and so on, with most of them foreigners, we have a certain approach to understanding easily the character of workers, with no preassumption of conversation. Then, it helped me in my workplace.”(I3)

Similarly, as presented in E10, I1 thought that institutions contributed through its teaching method, which somehow has helped him memorize well.

E10: “… that the Indian education, they train us as good as possible, and fast, in the exam, we have to write fast, in my master degree in China, I had a fundamental theory already, and theoretical part is so deep in the Indian education, so it helpful in my academic degree.”(I1).

E10 reflects that experiences the students have from their lecturers’ teaching method reinforced their prior knowledge in practical contexts.

Based on the findings above, the students gained the benefits from pursuing their degree internationally is true. The research corresponds to the study of (Mergen et al., 2000), which covers the idea of the quality of design, conformity, and performance, and consequently provides a framework for identifying educational, research, and organizational enhancement potential. Furthermore, the entire exposure to aspects from the interview is provided in terms of thematic analysis to deepen the investigation of international students' perspectives in higher education.

TThe facilities as part of the college’s infrastructure are good enough. However, international students thought that the building and classroom were old enough with no updated facilities. There is nothing wrong with maintaining the heritage, but it would be better if the college facilities could be upgraded since it can make Indian institutions more famous at the international level. International scholarships affect higher education systems by introducing excluded perspectives to university campuses in host countries, with the notion that a varied student population from several nations will provide unique experiences, expertise, and opinions (Campbell & Neff, 2020)

The data found that many of them could survive in India. The belief brings positive clues in the data, as illustrated in Table 5. Moreover, this should be considered while improving the higher education institution. Since international students struggle to gain admission to pursue their future careers, all components of the course have rapidly improved.

The result of the interview section underlined several things. The initial one was about the safety of the building since most of the building is old, then international students claimed that there should be further maintenance to keep the building safe. Another thing, the university has several affiliated institutions, and different institutions must have different leaders, but the data portrayed similar results which means that the roles and regulations are similar in the aspect of facilities. This is proof when the authors asked questions about the quality of the sports room, restroom, and canteens, each informant provided a similar point. Other than that, PhD students deliberated on the maintenance of the lab and other important stuff.

Nevertheless, all students during the interview session expressed their hope for hygiene in India’s institutions. Washrooms should be repaired to ensure good service. Additionally, there are no cafeterias or any comfortable study spaces in the college that can give the space for students to sit with friends and discuss things related to their work. They said Indian students took a rest on the lawn during the break hour, but it is not enough in their perception.

Previously, Table 7 depicts the elements for integrated teaching-learning materials, teaching-learning process, or supportive stuff for teaching good points. In addition, none of the international students thought highly satisfied on qualities performance. Related to the teaching-learning process, collaborative teaching-learning was good to be conducted ((Dai & Hardy, 2023); (Rajiani et al., 2023)).

Nonetheless, the quality of teaching concerning specialization, classroom interaction, information and communication technologies, and teaching resources need to be upgraded as they fall below the excellent level (Manan et al., 2020). For this reason, the government and the service's authorities should prioritize maintaining the system as a whole, not just for a certain component.

The international students realized that if they want to pursue education overseas, they must speak English. That is not the case at all since there will be an adaptation phase. Informants consider students should be ready. Yet, other students thought differently from the interview section. Students thought that the university might provide an international language language center in their institution to help them improve their English language. It related to English instruction is not correctly used in a particular class. When the environment is dominated by many people from the same cultures, then sometimes the minority will be forgotten (Arkoudis et al., 2019)(Malik & Paswan, 2023).

International students expected not only improved knowledge about their degree but also their fluency in all aspects of the English language. Even another language after coming back to their home country. One study mentioned that the campus writing center contributed to helping undergraduate students develop academic writing (Solmaz, 2021). With the aids of technology in language learning, particularly writing skills ((Kamarullah et al., 2024);(Kamarullah et al., 2024)), the mastery of the English language is achievable, which is also supported by the routine evaluation of the facilities (Manan et al., 2020).

However, the authors discovered that the informant also got support from local friends in the context of supportive learning environments. Even if there were some communication difficulties, the strain has been reduced as international students adapt fast. According to one study, Chinese students prefer to communicate with English language native speakers, and they form better cultural relationships with students of non-Anglo-Saxon nations (Cheng & Yu, 2023). Moreover, international students claimed that India has English language is the official language. However, when it came to the fact that few international students enrolled, sometimes the Indian language or their mother tongue language was more applicable at the university.

After graduating from the institution, no matter the obstacles that students had, and no matter the quality of instruction that they got, students considered that the institution had given them a good living.

The data proved that students cultivated their previous knowledge to a further degree after facing several obstacles. This is in line with students with scholarship programs from other countries which explained that the mobility for pursuing a degree in another country prepared students to have a certain strategy to encounter several academic constraints, and stress in their experiences (Natalia et al., 2023).

Initial results related to the public university's quality assurance efforts were satisfactory. There is nothing wrong with the systems or the weakness of the university in supplying trained lecturers. Upon the level of satisfaction with study, students in the various courses at college admitted that the overall quality was good and suggested other international students enroll at this public university. Regardless of the findings, minor is recognized about international students' wants and emotional contracts (Bordia et al., 2019). In the author's eyes, it is up to the person to decide whether or not he wants to improve the quality of instruction. As long as the quality of teaching is good, then the other circumstance is not affecting the standard of the courses. Lecturers and staff should also receive sufficient training or orientation on dealing with concerns with foreign scholars and students.

Additionally, some international students were also disappointed with the examination system at public universities. Despite making significant contributions to the learning process throughout the semester, some students felt that the model of writing on many pages was not an efficient way to determine whether an examinee passed or not. Another point related to that issue was about the influence of local students on the other students.

Furthermore, based on the data, most local students were absent from the regular class. Even though international students may benefit from the complete notes from local students, this culture probably makes the international students lazy to come to class too. As mentioned by the respondent in the interview the local students do not go to college, but they freely follow the examination as long as they write as many as possible in the paper, they would finally pass the exam easily. Nevertheless, International students also added that even though the quality was good, some improvements in the teaching methods are needed. Students thought that most of the teaching processes focused on teacher center approach, and some also thought it was boring to listen all the time.

International students compete and present their best efforts to improve the quality of the future, not only for their lives but also for the institutions. Institutions must examine the perspectives of learners for involvement in the execution of several institutions' inter-nationalization vision, as well as a reframe of objectives and approaches to close the gap between prestigious discourse and international education reality (Qu & Forsey, 2024).

Moreover, as service organizations, higher education institutions faced a situation in which meeting the needs and expectations of their users came first. Since few students were enrolled in PhD programs and technical professional courses, the institution should endeavor to boost the number of students in those fields. Scholarship programs attracted most international students. As a consequence, providing high-quality service has become a key priority for most higher education institutions to differentiate themselves from others (Mastoi et al., 2019). Hence, the government should maintain these programs and attempt to recruit more international students.

Conversely, related to the facilities, international students lower their expectations. Even though most students mentioned the library was outstanding, convenient, and well-stocked with helpful literature and databases. Some of them suggested that the library's operating hours be extended. The time allocation for using the library is limited only until the afternoon, and the limited access to the Internet colleges disappointed some students who must work on their projects. Other issues like the cleanliness of the college and toilet, canteen, and food menus still existed, making the international students challenging to adapt.

As the university’s website is the primary information source, the authorities should constantly update the website and try to make everything available online to make it accessible to everyone. Furthermore, Table 5 shows that the students were moderately satisfied with the service offered by the University Foreign Relation Office, striving to develop links between institutions and overseas students while facilitating staff, institution, and student exchange programs. Since this study aimed to measure international students’ perceptions of higher education courses at public universities, the actual data from the results emphasize the optimistic view and expresses some criticism towards the quality of the courses.

The choice to pursue higher education abroad is mainly motivated by push factors, whereas the selection of nation, region, and institution is primarily influenced by pull factors. They may include poor professional prospects, unfavorable social or political situations, inadequate educational development, and a lack of program options in the native country. As international students have difficulty getting accepted into universities abroad or in their own country, the officials must address the need for immediate improvements to all dimensions of the educational institution. That is because some actions of local culture would lead to negative stereotypes for international students. That is why institutions should take steps to enhance all quality-related areas in this matter.

The conceptual framework, as showcased in Figure 1, represents a novel approach to enhancing the educational experiences of international students. Six key areas identified for improvement, each contributing to a holistic educational environment tailored to the needs of international students, are essential to enhance their educational experiences. The first area, infrastructure modernization, highlights the urgent need to upgrade educational facilities to meet international standards. Modernizing infrastructure is crucial not only for enhancing learning and safety but also for attracting international students who evaluate physical facilities in their decision-making process. Studies such as those by (Mergen et al., 2000) have emphasized the importance of quality infrastructure in educational performance, suggesting that a well-equipped environment enhances learning outcomes and student satisfaction.

The second area, teaching quality enhancement, focuses on improving the pedagogical skills of faculty and integrating modern educational technologies into the curriculum. This aligns with the findings from (Whelan & McGuinness, 2020) that robust teaching frameworks significantly impact student engagement and learning effectiveness, thereby improving overall academic performance.

Moreover, as service organizations, higher education institutions faced a situation in which meeting the needs and expectations of their users came first. Since few students were enrolled in PhD programs and technical professional courses, the institution should endeavor to boost the number of students in those fields. Scholarship programs attracted most international students. For a consequence, providing high-quality service has become a key priority for most higher education institutions to differentiate themselves from the others (Mastoi et al., 2019). Hence, the government should maintain these programs and attempt to recruit more international students.

Conversely, related to the facilities, international students lower their expectations. Even though most students mentioned the library was outstanding, convenient, and well-stocked with helpful literature and databases. Some of them suggested that the library's operating hours be extended. The time allocation for using the library is limited only until the afternoon, and the limited access to the internet colleges disappointed some students who must work on their projects. Other issues like the cleanliness of the college and toilet, canteen, and food menus still existed, making the international students challenging to adapt.

As the university’s website is the primary information source, the authorities should constantly update the website and try to make everything available online to make it accessible to everyone. Furthermore, Table 5 shows that the students were moderately satisfied with the service offered by the University Foreign Relation Office, striving to develop links between institutions and overseas students while facilitating staff, institution, and student exchange programs. Since this study aimed to measure international students’ perceptions of higher education courses at public universities, the actual data from the results emphasize the optimistic view and expresses some criticism towards the quality of the courses. The choice to pursue higher education abroad is mainly motivated by push factors, whereas the selection of nation, region, and institution is primarily influenced by pull factors. They may include poor professional prospects, unfavorable social or political situations, inadequate educational development, and a lack of program options in the native country. As international students have difficulty getting accepted into universities abroad or in their own country, the officials must address the need for immediate improvements to all dimensions of the educational institution. That is because some actions of local culture would lead to negative stereotype for international students. That is why institutions should take steps to enhance all quality-related areas in this matter.

The conceptual framework, as showcased in Figure 1, represents a novel approach to enhancing the educational experiences of international students. Six key areas identified for improvement, each contributing to a holistic educational environment tailored to the needs of international students, are essential to enhance their educational experiences. The first area, infrastructure modernization, highlights the urgent need to upgrade educational facilities to meet international standards. Modernizing infrastructure is crucial not only for enhancing learning and safety but also for attracting international students who evaluate physical facilities in their decision-making process. Studies such as those by (Mergen et al., 2000) have emphasized the importance of quality infrastructure in educational performance, suggesting that a well-equipped environment enhances learning outcomes and student satisfaction.

The second area, teaching quality enhancement, focuses on improving the pedagogical skills of faculty and integrating modern educational technologies into the curriculum. This aligns with the findings from (Whelan & McGuinness, 2020) that robust teaching frameworks significantly impact student engagement and learning effectiveness, thereby improving overall academic performance.

Next, the necessity for extensive support services, particularly language assistance for non-native speakers, is well-documented. Such services are pivotal for effective integration and academic success of international students. For example, (Andrade, 2006) emphasizes the critical role of support services in international student adaptation and success in higher education settings.

Furthermore, the importance of safety and hygiene in educational institutions cannot be overstated, as they directly impact student well-being and perceptions of the institution. (Braxton et al., 2000) discuss how the physical and psychological safety of students is crucial for their retention and success.

Too, cultural integration programs are essential for fostering an inclusive environment that enriches the student body's cultural diversity. (Zhou et al., 2008) support the idea that diverse educational environments enhance learning and prepare students for global citizenship.

Last, financial barriers significantly influence the educational choices of international students. (Wei, 2013) highlights that scholarships and financial aids are crucial factors considered by students when selecting an international study destination. Thus, increasing the availability of both aspects is essential to remove economic barriers and enhance the diversity of the student body.

This framework’s interconnected approach, where improvements in one area can positively influence outcomes in another, offers a blueprint for systematic change. It recognizes that the educational experience is multifaceted and that enhancements must be comprehensive to meet the diverse needs of international students effectively. This integrated approach sets this research apart, offering a nuanced understanding of how institutional changes can enhance the global educational landscape.