An exploratory study of the factors influencing undergraduate student choice: the case of higher education in Scotland

Abstract

This article explores the factors influencing student choice at six contrasting universities in Scotland to establish if there is value in developing a model for predicting institutional choice for Scottish undergraduate entry. It is based on a survey of 651 students in two undergraduate disciplines, accountancy and engineering, across the six universities. The findings indicate that the choice decision is complex and multi‐factorial. Whilst there was variation across universities, disciplines and genders, the evidence illustrates consistency in respect of the top three factors: academic reputation, distance from home and location. Suggestions for change are formulated on the basis of the main findings.