This research aims to understand the factors influencing international academic mobility within the Chinese higher education context. The inventory of University Students' Perceptions of Influencing Factors for International Academic Mobility was developed and tested to enquire about Chinese university students' perceptions of factors influencing their decisions on international academic mobility. The findings reveal that "mobility cost", "quality of host institutions", "future career prospects", "financial aid and employment rate and income in host country" play leading roles in international academic mobility. Important differences were identified in "gender", "major- and family-education background". Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to predict the interest in mobility from the external factors. The results indicated that "future career prospects", "quality of host institutions", "mobility cost" and "climate environment in host country" emerged as significant favourable pull factors for Chinese university students' interest in mobility. "Geographical distance" emerged as a significant unfavourable pull factor. "Impact from parents" and "language and intercultural training of home institutions" emerged as favourable push factors. "Economic situation of home country" emerged as an unfavorable push factor.