College Choice Research Articles

The quality of higher education in Kyrgyzstan through the eyes of students

ABSTRACT In this study, the perceived quality of higher education in the Kyrgyz Republic was analysed from the students’ perspective. The factors affecting the university choice as well as factors defining the perceived quality of education were investigated using a quantitative approach. The results of the study revealed that students perceive the quality of higher education in the country as rather satisfactory. The difference was observed among responses collected from different universities. Besides, the satisfaction of students from universities located in different regions differs: surprisingly, students from remote regions perceive education provided by their universities as a higher quality education than those from central universities. In addition, it was observed that factors such as university infrastructure, financial or other types of support, qualification of teachers and attitude of staff towards students also defined their perception of education quality.

Factors Affecting University Choice Behaviour in the UK Higher Education

Although regulations and established practices in academia have focused on a data-rich model of performance information, both to evidence operational capability and to support recruitment, it is considered that this approach has been largely ineffective in addressing student choice behaviour. Historical studies, business, psychology, and technology theories have pointed to the oversimplification that a data-led strategy can result in for mapping human behaviour. In this case, decision processes of students are understood to be nuanced by a vast range of factors with variable relevance for everyone. The effort of the study is to address how Systems Thinking, related policy development, and associated enabling techniques can be applied to the field to provide both a deeper understanding of the dictates of student behaviour and, by extension, the appropriate foci for data provision, enabling comparative business performance assessment of Higher Education Providers. This research has followed the Design Science Research (DSR) methodology; the developed model has been successfully evaluated against the understanding of education practitioners in an interview consultation process of the methodology. The analysis of interview feedback and the development and refinement of the proposed model generate the principle findings of the study. The model outlines the factors that might affect students’ choices in the UK Higher Education.

University rankings as information source: do they play a different role for domestic and international students?

ABSTRACT So far, the effect of rankings on university choice has mostly been explored for Anglo-Saxon countries with a focus on domestic students. Using data from a medium-sized German university, we study the importance of rankings for domestic and international students. Results from an exploratory factor analysis suggest that the university position in rankings is highly relevant for both groups. Differences show up when comparing rankings and other sources of information: domestic students complement advice from classmates and alumni with rankings, while international students do this – if at all – for advice from family and friends. Interestingly, advice from authorities like teachers is substituted for rankings by international students.

Social Media by Indian Universities – Does it convince or confuse International Students in University Choice?

The advent of information and communications technology has changed the way people and organisations function, communicate, transact, recruit, market business and services. To keep pace with the ever-changing business and marketing trends, organisations have integrated information, tools of communication & the boom of internet technology into their strategies.The education industry is no exception to this challenge. The primary goals in marketing University is to attract prospective students from across the globe. Increasing globalisation, aspiration, movement, ease of financial access is drawing students to apply for higher studies in Universities away from their country of residence. Many new-age studies of youth, teenagers and Gen Y overwhelmingly suggest that they are prolific users of the Internet and in particular social media applications. These factors have led to social media being heavily leveraged by universities to create interest and draw in applicants. Social media tools like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Quora, Google+, Youtube is integrated with the other traditional media viz print/broadcast media, exhibitions, educational trade fairs et al to reach students from various countries. Social Media plays dual power of attracting student applicants as well as helps engagement to create a loyal online community through sharing content which is found relevant and useful by the new young generation.This research paper examines the role of social media in helping international students choose university for higher studies in India. This study included in-depth interviews and a survey to include 183 students’ International students studying in 6 different cities in India.The research findings indicate that International Students increasingly use social media thus highlighting the role of social media in influencing international students’ choice of university . All in all, this study provides directions for universities to influence students innovatively and strategically. International students depend on social media for supplementary information to strengthen the information gathered through primary influencers like family, friends and alumni.With increasing media clutter it's absolutely essential to ensure media planning for use of social media sharp and appropriate media tools are selected to reach the students and thereby enable them to effectively use it for choice of University. Social media strategy through consumer generated word of mouth and influencer marketing to communicate the experience, safety, acceptance of diverse culture can be leveraged to help the students’ choice process.

Informed consumers? Students, choices and events management degrees

Comparatively little is known about the extent to which students on vocational courses like events management fit within the student-as consumer framework and, in particular, why and how they decide to study for an events management degree. A study of 582 new events management undergraduates was undertaken at two UK universities. Survey and interview data illustrate that, although students demonstrated aspects of consumerist logic in valuing their degree predominantly in relation to their future careers, they based their choice of course and university largely on emotional, subjective criteria and so were not the ‘informed consumers’ espoused in public discourse.

Perceived effect of pediatric inflammatory bowel diseases on academics, college planning, and college adjustment

Objective To examine the relationship between perceived effect of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) on high school academics and college planning on college adjustment. Participants: Participants (N = 97) were college students with IBD. Methods: Participants completed an online survey including the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire and study-developed questions assessing the perceived impact of their diagnosis on their high school academics and college planning. Results: Most participants reported average college adjustment across domains, except personal-emotional adjustment with 47% of participants falling within the very low to low ranges. Nearly half reported IBD impacted their choice of college (49%). The impact of IBD on college planning was most consistently associated with domains of college adjustment. Conclusions: IBD severely impacts college planning, decision-making, and adjustment in college-bound youth. Perceiving that having a chronic illness impacts college planning may result in greater difficulty with academic adjustment, attachment to the institution, and social adjustment during college.

Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Keputusan Pemilihan Perguruan Tinggi Swasta (Studi pada Universitas Muria Kudus)

In recent years, many changes have occurred regarding the condition of higher education. Formerly, to study in higher education is considered as a prestigious thing. However, these days, higher education has been seen as a necessity for the community be able to improve social and economic conditions. This state, increase the number of private universities every year in every region of Indonesia. In Kudus, there were only one private university namely Universitas Muria Kudus. However, today there is another private university in the city. The emergence of another private university in Kudus will increase the competition to get new students. In order to compete with the new private university, it is needed to know factors that influence someone in the university choice. In this research there are four factors that could affect the university choice (1) characteristic of university, (2) quality and facility of university, (3) external factor, and (4) marketing/communication factor. Questionnaire result will be used as primary data in this research. The respondents for this research are 344 students that were on the first semester of all faculties in UMK. Proportional random sampling method is use to determine research sample. Result of the study show that quality and facility of university and marketing/communication factor each has positive and significant influence towards university choice. Meanwhile characteristic of university and external factor each has positive but not significant influence toward university choice.

High School and College Choice Factors Associated with High-Achieving Low-Income Students’ College Degree Completion

Gaps in college degree completion between low-, middle-, and high-income college students are typically attributed to differences in academic preparation and ability. However, high-achieving, low-income students are still less likely to graduate from college than their high-achieving, high-income counterparts. This study explores completion rates at the end of the Great Recession, using a community cultural wealth framework to examine additional pre-college factors and college attendance behaviors that contribute to the degree completion of high-achieving, low-income students. Longitudinal data using the Freshmen Survey and National Student Clearinghouse were collected from 2004 to 2010, comparing 9300 high-achieving students entering 455 colleges from low-, middle-, and high-income backgrounds. Hierarchical linear modeling (HGLM) was used to identify student and institutional factors that predict college completion during this era. Findings indicate that navigational capital and college attendance patterns (attending a summer session, selective college, and/or private institution) are key factors for high-achieving, low-income student completion. Cultural wealth anti-deficit measures could not explain the low-income Latinx lower likelihood of college completion nor gender differences across income groups. Implications of the results address concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic recession in terms of what institutions can do to support students.

The Role of Families in Latinx College Choice

AbstractThis chapter addresses how Latinx students and their families understand the process of going to and choosing to attend a community college.

Understanding Postgraduate Student Preferences for University Choice in Zambia: The Case of ZCAS University

The aim of this study was to ascertain the university brand model that characterizes postgraduate student choice of ZCAS University. The brand model comprises brand attributes that attract postgraduate students to the university, the information sources they consult, who influences their decisions and what makes the university unique. The study was qualitative in design, while sampling of research participants was done purposively. Three focus group discussions involving seventeen first years part time and open distance e-learning postgraduate students, and five semi-structured interviews with marketing and recruitment staff at ZCAS University were used to collect data on the brand model. Thematic analysis and content analysis were then used as the primary data analysis techniques. Results of the study revealed that reputation, teaching quality, student support, fees and facilities were the top five ZCAS University brand traits that underpin postgraduate students’ choice of the university. With respect to competitive advantage, facilities, teaching quality reputation and accreditations are perceived to be the university’s primary unique characteristics. The study further identified friends, self, workmate and family as the greatest influencers of postgraduate student choice of the university; while websites, social media, print media and television are believed to be the most consulted information sources by prospective postgraduate students.

Making a higher education institution choice: differences in the susceptibility to online information on students’ advice-seeking behavior

PurposeLittle research has been done on how university information sources influence advice-seeking attitude, intention, and behavior between students with high and low susceptibility to online information. Our study addressed this gap by empirically demonstrating the role that students’ susceptibility to online information plays in terms of the effect of attitude, social norm and perceived behavioral control on their advice-seeking intention and behavior using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The purpose of this study is to examine differences in the susceptibility to online sources on students’ advice-seeking behavior when making an institution choice.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional survey was involved, and this empirical study was performed on the basis of a sample of 621 students from publicly-funded high schools in Hong Kong. Multigroup analysis (MGA) was conducted to (i.e. students with high susceptibility to online sources/ students with low susceptibility to online sources) to examine students’ behavioral intention regarding advice seeking about institution choice. 10;FindingsThe results of the study revealed that students with high susceptibility to online information were likely to be influenced by the social norm in applying the TPB model. Conversely, students with low susceptibility to online information had low intention to seek advice from others as they are independent and noninformation seekers. Implications for higher education institutions are discussed.Originality/valueThis study provides a modified version of the TPB model while also demonstrating how students with high/low susceptibility to online sources affect their behavioral intention to seek advice from others about making a university choice. Also, this study provides insights into institutions regarding the promotion of marketing information via online and offline sources.

Routes through higher education: BME students and the development of a ‘specialisation of consciousness’

With changing demographics and the advent of mass higher education, there has been a significant impact on graduate transitions which has led to greater inequalities in access to social support during the transitionary period between undergraduate study and entrance into the labour market. This article explores the experiences of students in their final year of undergraduate study by drawing on 43 interviews with Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) students. Using Bourdieu, we argue that BME students preparing to enter the labour market display a ‘specialisation of consciousness’: a set of practices framed by their prior background and experience, choice of university and the support derived from attending university. ‘Specialisation of consciousness’ is an ongoing process in which BME students identify and understand racial inequalities in higher education and accept the limiting consequences these have on transitions into the labour market or further study.

The Determinants of the Transition in South Korea from Vocational and General High School to Higher Education, Including a Gender Comparison

This study examines the factors determining whether vocational and general high school students in South Korea subsequently graduate from university and, if so, whether from 2-year or 4-year courses, for the first time using a gender lens. High-quality official data from the Korean Education and Employment Panel (KEEP) is used in a multinomial logit model. The results show that coming from a vocational high school (compared to a general high school) is negatively correlated with going to university, especially to 4-year university. Among general high school graduates, the most important determinant of attending a 4-year rather than a 2-year university is the teacher assessment of the student’s performance; father’s education and income have no effect for either males or females. The results also show that vocational high school graduates’ university choice is determined by a combination of individual characteristics, including being male, and by having been at a vocational high school, whereas the choice between 2-year and 4-year university depends negatively on father’s education for males but not for females and on father’s income and the number of siblings for both genders. The income and sibling findings suggest that a possible policy implication might be to provide financial support to vocational high school graduates to enable them to attend higher education and to offset the negative effect of low paternal income.

Exploring Research and Contextual Relevance in Engineering Education: The Case of a University in South Africa

The need for improvement in production and processes and to have a better approach to it necessitates the imperative of engineering education. The practice of engineering education takes place in a context and it is also influenced by the context in which it takes place. Context is the cultural framework or environment in which technical knowledge and skills are learned. Globally, there are changes along socio-economic, environmental, and demographic lines and its driving profound changes in engineering education in the society. This study explored research and contextual relevance in engineering education using a South African University as a case study. The choice of University of cape town for this case study was informed by the ranking of the institution as one of the best universities of engineering in South Africa. The university also has a center for research in engineering education from which research focus was picked to establish its relevance. Findings from this study revealed that engineering research takes place Disciplinary, environment, economic, social, cultural, political context. From the study, it was revealed that university of cape town has five major research focus in engineering education which include teaching and learning in science and engineering, students in transition, knowledge and curriculum, higher education policy and institutional dynamics and evaluation and development of methodologies. These thematic areas were explored for contextual relevance. The study recommended that The study recommends that effort be placed more on research on digitization to ensure relevance with the current clime and also, researches in University of Cape Town should be tailored towards the Fourth Industrial revolution for relevance

Functions of an institutional culture of access: Student choices and transitions to university in South Africa

When students choose their university, this is determined by academic entry requirements, acceptance into a programme, sufficient funding and tips from their family and friends. They are also targeted by universities’ marketing departments. In the context of higher education, the concept of institutional culture comprises a university’s practices and values which are collectively shared by its staff and students. This institutional culture is communicated to potential students, who in turn match the information against their own aspirations before making their choice. This article presents a case study investigating the role of institutional culture in promoting access to the state-funded university system in South Africa. It draws on empirical data gathered from staff and first-year students at a South African university. The author’s analysis reveals that students’ university choice and aspirations are mainly influenced by three functions of culture, namely serving as a basis of (1) communication; (2) motivation; and (3) identity. Arguing that it would be useful for universities to also consider the other four functions of culture, which are: serving as a basis of (4) judgement; (5) stratification; (6) productivity; and (7) perception, the author concludes that South African students’ access to higher education can be enhanced through a more nuanced inclusion of all cultural functions in institutional culture.

Early recruiting in NCAA sport: An exploratory study of scarcity effects

ABSTRACT Current sources of information regarding the effects of early recruiting in college athletics, on which recent NCAA bylaw changes were predicated, are grounded in anecdotal accounts of deleterious effects on the psychosocial health of adolescent athletes [e.g. DaSilva, M. (2016, May 17). Straight talk: A special LM roundtable on early recruiting. US Psychological Foundations of AttitudesLacrosse Magazine. http://laxmagazine.com/mag/2016/05/051716_straight_talk_lacrosse_magazine_roundtable_on_early_recruiting.; Popper, N. (2014, January 26). Committing to lay for a College, then Starting the 9th Grade. New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/committing-to-play-for-a-college-then-starting-9th-grade.html?_r=0.). Through the lens of scarcity effects [Brock, T. C. (1968). Implications of commodity theory for value change., 1, 243–275. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4832-3071-9.50016-7], an exploratory study was conducted to examine parents’ perspectives on the effects of an accelerated recruiting timeline on the college choice factors, the decision to accept a verbal scholarship offer, and the psychosocial outcomes of the recruiting process for their child. Interviews (N=12) conducted with parents of female soccer prospective student-athletes who were recruited prior to NCAA permissible contact windows indicated that brand value and program coach were given primacy over academics as college choice factors, and that the fear of losing out on a scholarship and the desire for cognitive closure affected the timeline for accepting a verbal scholarship offer.

Upstream and Downstream Impacts of College Merit-Based Financial Aid for Low-Income Students: Ser Pilo Paga in Colombia

How does financial aid affect postsecondary enrollment, college choice, and student composition? We present new evidence based on a large-scale program available to high-achieving, low-income students for attending high-quality colleges in Colombia. RD estimates show financial aid eligibility raised immediate enrollment by 56.5 to 86.5 percent, depending on the complier population. This rise, driven by matriculation at private, high-quality colleges, closed the SES enrollment gap among high achievers. Moreover, a DID approach suggests enrollment of aid-ineligible students also improved because college supply expanded in response to heightened demand. With ability stratification largely replacing SES stratification, diversity increased 46 percent at private, high-quality colleges. (JEL I22, I23, I24, I26, J24, O15)

Do Students who Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail? Effects of Individualized Learning Plans on Postsecondary Transitioning

Background/Context Policies featuring individualized learning plans (ILPs) have become increasingly popular among states seeking to improve college and career readiness through early postsecondary planning. Although ILPs are featured in legislation for more than 35 states, limited work has been done on measuring their effectiveness to ensure that students are better prepared for college and career. Purpose In this study, we fill this gap in the literature by exploring the effects of completing an ILP and potential spillover effects in schools that require the use of this tool. We also explore whether these effects vary by parental income status. Using a quasi-experimental design, we offer nationally generalizable evidence of the ILP on individual student's transition from secondary to postsecondary education Research Design We use data from the High School Longitudinal Survey of 2009 (HSLS:09), a nationally representative survey of students in 944 public and private high schools who are surveyed at multiple points during their time in high school. Using these data, we employ the quasi-experimental propensity score matching approach to generate balance between treated and untreated groups on observed covariates. Findings The findings from this study suggest that students who completed ILPs were more likely to identify a career of interest and make informed college choices with respect to institutional fit as compared with peers who did not use this tool. In particular, low-income students who completed an ILP were more likely to apply for financial aid and submit applications to multiple institutions when compared with economically similar students who did not use ILPs. Also, schools offering ILPs were more likely to help students enroll in moderately selective four-year colleges and to complete some advanced credits in English. Conclusions This study's findings offer evidence that schools can use ILPs to help students prepare for college through the college search and selection process. Although ILPs seem to be most effective in helping students plan for the process of applying to college, greater emphasis may be needed to ensure that ILPs also support students in the effort of academic course planning.

Student university choice in Kurdistan-Iraq: what factors matter?

ABSTRACT We aim to investigate the factors influencing student choice in the private higher education (HE) sector in Kurdistan-Iraq. Hence, this research attempts to add to the literature in terms of understanding student university choice, in general, and address the gap in the literature in the context of Middle Eastern studies including Kurdistan, in particular. We employed a survey research design using a self-developed questionnaire targeting first-year students in private universities in Kurdistan. Using a sample of 518 students and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we found that the university characteristics that most influenced student choice were reputation/accreditation, quality of teaching, employability and quality of facilities, a finding consistent with existing literature. However, cost of study was not seen to be highly influential in relation to student choice. Accordingly, the study recommends that universities consider increasing their tuition fees and dedicating the extra revenues to boosting their reputation, enhancing their quality of teaching and accreditation and increasing their connection to and relationships with local employers. Some other implications are also discussed.

Factors Affecting the Decision to Choose a Local University in Vietnam

Most universities in Vietnam, especially the local ones, are struggling to implement the annual enrollment plan because their enrollment plans have not completed recently. What are the important factors affecting admissions results for local universities? On the basis of the theoretical model, the research has proposed, designed and tested the scale of factors affecting the decision to choose a local university in Vietnam. Through a survey of 412 students at local universities, the regression model showed that six groups of proposed factors influenced the decision on local university choice in Vietnam in descending order of impact as follows: Study Costs, Majors, Influence Group, Quality and Reputation, Facilities, Advertising and Operations. The research model explains 62.4% for the overall relationship of the above 6 groups of factors with the dependent variable, which is Decision of choosing local university in Vietnam.