The aim of this research was to determine what comparative education students expect from comparative education courses. Students from nine countries in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America were surveyed. These countries were the United States of America, Ireland, Greece, Bulgaria, Oman, Thailand, Tanzania, South Africa and Cuba. The results showed startling differences regarding students’ perceptions of and motivations for studying comparative education. Their diverse motivations, the study concludes, are linked to contextual factors. In conclusion the implications of these findings for comparative education course curricula, for the conceptualization of the significance of comparative education, and for the comparative education research agenda are highlighted.