The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among perceived risk, perceived knowledge, education, age, and international students' external information search behavior in terms of extent of information search, types of information searched, and types of information sources used during the search phase of the college choice process. A model of students' information search behavior was developed based on perceived risk theory, psychological and motivational theory, and services marketing theory. The study used the quantitative method and conducted a combination of online and in-person surveys. International students from six California universities in the United States participated and 154 usable surveys were collected. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Correlation (Pearson's r), and ANOVA were performed for data analysis. The results indicated overall moderate significant relationships between the three determinants (perceived risk, perceived knowledge, and age) and international students' external search behavior. Students' search behavior was impacted by their level of perceived risk, perceived knowledge, and age, but not by education. Findings suggested that the higher level of perceived risk students had, the more they searched information and utilized both personal and impersonal sources. Students with a higher level of perceived knowledge tended to have a higher level of risk perception when choosing a college. Students who felt knowledgeable about U.S. colleges more often used impersonal sources and searched various college attributes during their search. Additionally, older students searched a higher amount of college information and searched more about academic performance related information. Younger students used more personal sources to obtain college information. Overall results indicated that international student information search patterns varied by students' subjective knowledge of college and their age. The findings have managerial implications for marketers and recruiters to understand the impact of perceived risk and perceived knowledge on students' search behavior. Their marketing communications strategies should be able to address those significant associations. Utilizing multiple communication channels is necessary to disseminate relevant information effectively and more deeply engage and stay connected with prospective international students. [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://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]