Today, there is a growing need to develop and use new effective marketing strategies in the higher education in the agenda of recruiting diverse student population and attracting best talents at domestic and international level. This is closely associated with building a reputable university brand. Modern higher education institutions have to commit more attention, time and resources to support marketing efforts aimed at establishing, maintaining and enhancing relationships with prospective students. In Latvia, recruitment strategies of universities increasingly address international students, as Latvian universities are now competing for them in the global education market. The competition for overseas students is growing worldwide. In some countries (and Latvia is not an exception), sustained growth in international student recruitment is vital for compensating for a decline in the number of domestic students. The aim of the paper is to investigate the main factors that overseas students consider important when choosing Latvia as a study destination. The paper is based on 1) the analysis of research papers and documents on marketing in higher education; 2) a survey conducted in two higher education institutions of Latvia – Riga Technical University (RTU) and Transport and Telecommunication Institute (TSI). The results of the study show that understanding the needs of potential overseas students is vital for education managers responsible for their recruitment, as Latvian universities are now competing for international students in the global education market.