This study investigates a major form of internationalization of higher education, international student mobility (ISM) in over 200 countries between 1999 and 2017. Various theoretical explanations of the phenomenon are provided, followed by descriptive explanations of ISM patterns and empirical analysis on push and pull factors. From descriptive and structural perspectives, traditionally strong inflow countries have remained at the top, even with more diversified source countries. Peripheral countries with low economic development remained inactive players in the international college student market, while a group of semi-peripheral countries have emerged as strong actors in the global higher education market. At the regional level, even with various regional initiatives to integrate and harmonize the higher education system, there has been limited success with regional imbalance. At the country level, this study found that certain economic, education, demographic, and global level engagement indicators are associated with the volume of international flows. According to the results from panel data analysis, key economic factors, GDP in pull models, and GNI per capita in push models were found to be statistically significant and positively associated with the volume of international students. Network effects and favorable immigration policies were also positively related to the volume of international student inflows. There were some differences between developing and developed nations. In pull models for developed nations, the cost factor was important, while higher education quality and capacity were more important for developing nations. Future studies should reflect diverse perspectives on ISM so that the complexity of the phenomenon can be better analyzed. To better explain the multifaceted nature of international student migration, collaborative research efforts across different academic disciplines are recommended. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]