Dreaming beyond home: Aspirations and perceived support for overseas higher education among Bangladeshi female university students

Bangladeshi women's aspirations for overseas higher education emerge amid perceived limitations in domestic education and political instability, while varying perceptions of family and university support raise questions about equitable opportunities to study abroad. This study describes the aspirations of female students at the University of Dhaka (DU) and Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST), comparing perceived push and pull factors, opportunities for personal development, and family and institutional support. A quantitative cross-sectional survey involved 200 female students, 100 from each university, recruited through convenience sampling. Structured questionnaire data collected in October 2025 were analyzed using descriptive statistics in SPSS 20. Two findings emerged. First, most respondents aspired to study abroad (DU: 75%; PUST: 76%). Perceived push factors included inadequate domestic educational quality, limited research opportunities, and political instability; pull factors included the quality of overseas education, university reputation, program diversity, and career prospects. Second, studying abroad was viewed as an opportunity for personal development and independence by 80% of DU respondents and 86% of PUST respondents. Agreement regarding expected emotional and financial family support was higher at PUST (79%) than at DU (56%), as was agreement across university support indicators. Thus, similar aspiration levels coexisted with different perceptions of support, underscoring the distinction between educational aspirations, expected benefits, and perceived resources. By bringing push–pull and women's empowerment perspectives together as interpretive lenses, this study provides evidence to inform evaluations of information services, scholarship guidance, and institutional support for women.