With the rapid growth in the number of international students coming to China, improving the quality and effectiveness of international student education has become a new policy priority. This study investigates the quality issue from the perspective of student satisfaction, with a focus on how satisfaction varies by academic level. We analysed data from a national survey involving 1,322 international students studying at Chinese colleges and universities using ordered logit regression models. The results indicate that most international students are satisfied with the host institutions. Both individual and environmental factors are significantly associated with the level of student satisfaction and these associations are different among undergraduate and graduate students. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring support to meet the distinct needs of students at different academic stages and suggest that universities can enhance student satisfaction by fostering a supportive interpersonal environment.