Competition in the higher education sector has led to an increase in studies examining student motivations for study and satisfaction with their overall education experience. While there is a growing body of literature focused on undergraduate students, few studies have addressed postgraduate student motivations for studying tourism. To address this gap, a study of tourism postgraduate students studying at the School of Tourism, The University of Queensland (UQSoT) was implemented. This article explores the relative importance of location, institution and program focus as motivators for undertaking postgraduate studies in tourism.