College Choice Research Articles

Heterogeneity and college choice: Latent class modelling for improved policy making

The huge increase in higher education coverage in many developing countries has gone hand-in-hand with an additional supply of private colleges and with the enrolment of low to middle-class students, previously excluded from a historically elitist education segment. The larger diversity of both “suppliers and consumers”, unseen a few years ago, calls for methodological approaches that recognize heterogenous tastes and eventually, to classify individuals into mutually exclusive groups, something that can improve the design of public policy.The importance of college choice in educational systems using voucher schemes, makes it relevant to know what are the main variables determining such choice and whether they differ among different groups. Chile, one of the countries with the most extensive voucher system in education, experienced a significant increase in higher education enrolment (over 250% over the last 15 years), and has faced fierce political controversy due to the high heterogeneity in college quality.We use a latent class choice model to capture differences between groups, an approach that performs significantly better than simpler models previously used in this area. We found that groups of individuals with different selection patterns exist, which could not be defined ex ante, and that those groups are not only differentiated by their income level but mainly, by how they performed at high school. From the different sensitivities to college characteristics such as cost, quality, and location, identifying these groups allows us to derive different policy prescriptions.

Family as a socio-cultural factor in the development and implementation of the educational route for children

The article presents an analysis of the influence of the family on the development and implementation of the educational route of children. The relevance of the problematics is related to the need to improve the quality of personal and social human capital. The purpose of the research is the study educational ways of different types of families. The project can be divided into theoretical and empirical parts. It was established in the theoretical section that in modern sociology the resource approach is most relevant to research issues. According to his interpretation, the family is the strongest factor in the educational route of children. Among family resources, economic, educational, and cultural capital have the greatest impact on the educational route of children. Тhe empirical part of the project contains, students’ parents, school principals surveys, collection of biographical materials, analysis of documents, analysis of statistical data and the results of all-Russian representative researches. Longitudinal studies of the educational path have been realised by interviewing families of students and collecting parental diaries. The author provides an analysis of two educational routes of Russian children. One way is leaving after ninth grade and going to college. It has been established that the majority of parents of 9th grade graduates don’t have higher education and families don’t have a developed cultural resource. The choice of college is explained by the reluctance to take a unified state exam after 11th grade, the desire to get a specialized secondary education for free, defined professional choice. The second educational route studied in detail in the empirical part of the research is the child’s admission to a top-rated school which falls under one of the top 500 best schools in Russia. This is the most thought-out educational plan which is implemented by parents with high educational and cultural values. It has been established that the likelihood of studying at a top-rated school increases the leadership position and the high professional qualifications of the student’s father. The empirical prospect of the study is the search and analysis of other relevant educational routes offered by families to their children. The findings suggest the need to support high-ranking schools and help Russian families providing children with educational opportunities.

Pride or Prejudice? Motivations for Choosing Black Colleges

This qualitative study explores the college choice motivations of 48 African American alumni of 20 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Through narrative inquiry, findings reveal although positive interactions with HBCU students and alumni pique interest in learning more about HBCUs, racial isolation and alienation remain salient experiences influencing the decision to attend an HBCU. Implications for student affairs practice are discussed.

An Analysis of College Choice Information Provided on Graduate Program Websites: Implications for Improving Applicant Diversity in Educational Measurement

AbstractThere has long been a concern about the lack of representation of ethnic minorities in the field of educational measurement. As previous research has shown that graduate programs primarily rely on their websites for recruiting efforts, the objective of this study was to conduct a content analysis of all U.S. educational measurement program websites to evaluate the availability of college choice information found to be useful for underrepresented ethnic minority applicants. In terms of program climate, results revealed that less than 10% of programs directly encouraged ethnic minorities to apply or included an antidiscrimination statement with regard to application review on their websites. Moreover, only a few program websites indicated the availability of flexible programming—previously found to be important for underrepresented ethnic minority students—such as part‐time options (16%), evening courses (10%), and online course/program availability (8%). Recommendations for how measurement programs can improve their websites to include desirable college choice information for underrepresented ethnic minority applicants are discussed.

Signalling, student identities, and college access: a proposed conceptual model of college choice and going

Relying on a multitude of studies from the college choice literature, I propose an updated model of college going and choice that draws on four conceptual, theoretical, and analytic approaches. With guidance from the economic, sociological, information processing, and combined theories of college choice, I situate my proposed framework within this extant literature to provide some direction and formal conceptualization of the role that signalling and identity play with regard to college access. In addition to understanding students’ identities within typical utility models, this essay also attempts to carefully consider both the explicit and implicit assumptions about valued identity categories (insiders) and those that are less valued (outsiders) in the college going and choice process. Finally, through deliberate examination of how signals are sent to students and the acquisition of signals (credentials) by students, I consider how this relays information about which identities are valued by higher education socially, and by specific institutions in particular. In so doing, I feel that I have laid a foundation for future work that carefully ties philosophical and public good notions back to the college choice process and to higher education’s underlying ethos of service in the public interest.

Student motivation in choosing learning at UIN Raden Intan Lampung

Entering the 4.0 industrial revolution, the number of Indonesians who consider it important to education is increasing. This is evidenced by the increasing number of students and the increasing number of university choices. However, what actually motivated the students to choose the college? This study aims to determine the factors that influence the decisions of students (motivation) who choose to study at Raden Intan Lampung State Islamic University. This study uses an anthropological approach with ethnography method. The subject of the study was students of UIN Raden Intan Lampung with a sample of class A UIN students (Class Chair and Secretary) of 2015 from 5 faculties. The results showed that there were 6 factors that influenced students to choose to study at UIN Raden Intan Lampung, with the most dominant factor is respondents’ self motivation who think that UIN Raden Intan Lampung is an Islamic based institution, so that students would get world knowledge (academic) and the Hereafter (Islamic).

The Influence of Safety and Security on Students’ Choice of University in South Africa

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are experiencing increased interest and enrolments in study programs by international students. For recruitment and retention purposes it is important that HEI managers understand the factors that influence a student’s choice of HEI. Prior studies have found that these factors may differ from country to country and may include culture, educational needs, campus activities, safety, and security, and socio-economic issues (such as an economic downturn and political or social instability). This article reports specifically on research into the influence of safety and security issues on national and international students’ choice of public university in South Africa. Two surveys conducted at different times were used to collect data from local and international students. The results indicate that safety and security, played a deciding role in both local students’ and international students’ choice of university in South Africa, and that the disruption to campus life associated with the #FeesMustFall student protests in South Africa in 2016 may have made international students more aware of safety and security issues on South African university campuses.

Factors Influencing Students’ Decision Making in Selecting University in Bangladesh

This study investigates the factors that influence students’ decisions when choosing a university for higher education in Bangladesh. The study was conducted among students of two private universities in the country. A multi-method approach was adopted in collecting and analyzing data. The responses of the 153 participating students to the questionnaire are primarily described using descriptive statistics, e.g., frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and rankings. Statistical tools like chi-square and ANOVA test are also applied where necessary. Results of the study indicate that the distance of the university from the students’ home plays an influential role in university choice process in the country. It is also found that there is a significant association between the level of education at which students first consider studying university and their choice about the university. Several other factors: university’s location, cost of tuition, availability of scholarship, students’ mother, friend and visits to campus play an influential role in university choice process.

Modelling trade-offs in students’ choice set when determining universities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing Indonesian students’ choice of university by estimating the trade-off students make in selecting a university.Design/methodology/approachConjoint analysis was used to examine the relative importance and the part-worth scores of the attributes that influence students’ public university preferences in Indonesia.FindingsHigh-school leavers in Indonesia trade off university preferences and view advice from family, friends, and/or teachers, reputation, and job prospects as important factors for selecting a public university. Two different preference-based segments of prospective students were identified from cluster analysis, and classified as either a “social networks-based decision” or a “rational decision” segment. A choice simulator was employed with three propositions, and the segments were found to have dissimilar preferences.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this paper provides insights on higher-education consumer choice, more research is needed that includes samples from different types of higher-education institutions and fields of study.Practical implicationsA greater understanding of student choice can help to inform marketing practices and customize marketing strategies for each segment by providing important information to principal parties involved in making university choice decisions.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates the relevance and value of conjoint analysis as an effective analytical tool for the identification of important choice criteria and its potential contribution to the development of more effective marketing strategies.

Proximity and choice of College of Distance Education (CoDE) of the University of Cape Coast for further studies

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the proximity of study centres to the students of College of Distance Education, University of Cape Coast (CoDE/UCC) and whether further studies of distance learners who were teachers and employees could lead to absenteeism in their workplaces.Design/methodology/approachA sequential explanatory strategy was used. A self-administered questionnaire and unstructured interviews as well as observation guides were employed to collect data from 2,077 students pursuing business and education programmes of CoDE in all study centres across Ghana. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and pattern matching of content analysis.FindingsThe study found that few teachers and other workers pursuing the distance education do absent themselves from the workplace or classroom on Fridays preceding their face-to-face session because they embarked on their journey to the study centres on Friday morning. Some teachers also absented themselves from work on Mondays after face-to-face sessions for a lack of means of transport on Sunday after lessons. The absenteeism of these respondents directly and indirectly affected their employers, students and customers.Practical implicationsIt was therefore recommended that management of CoDE/UCC should open more study centres in all the regions especially Western, Ashanti, Upper East, Northern and Upper West Regions to reduce number of hours spent by students to their study centres and consider introducing the business programmes at the existing district centres to reduce average distance covered by these students to commute from their places of work to their respective centres in the regional capitals. It was also recommended that online/electronic learning and audio versions (impersonal communication) of the study modules should be introduced so that students would not necessary have to travel to the study centre to participate in lectures/face-to-face sessions.Originality/valueThe findings of this study will help managers and administrators of both public and private distance educational providers. In addition to providing basis and areas for establishing study centres for geographical proximity, findings of the study should prove helpful for designing and delivering electronic and audio versions of distance education modules to reduce the level of absenteeism in workplace for the students.

Issues and Challenges in Modeling Relationships between College Choice Factors and Student Retention on Academic Achievement in Pre-University Students

The purpose of this study is to build a Relationship Model between College Choice Factor and Student Retention on Achievement among Pre-university Students in the State of Selangor, Malaysia. This study examines issues related to choice factors and retention of students. This research can be a source of references at the planning stage of national education policy. Challenges in choice factors and retention of students comprise international education. The implication of this study is expected to provide additional information on student selection and retention factors as well as providing guidance to the Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve the structure of pre-university education.

College expectations and choices: Explaining the gaps in college enrollment for high- and low-SES students in China

This study aims to better understand how college expectations influence college enrollment during the process of transition from high school to college, using a baseline and follow-up survey of high school students from Shaanxi Province in China. The findings show that students from low-SES families tended to have higher college expectations, whereas students from high-SES families were more likely to be accepted into college and more likely to attend college, even conditional on admission. We also found different patterns in college application behaviors between high- and low-SES students. Students from high-SES families were more likely to have valid college choices and aim for more selective colleges, whereas students from low-SES families tended to underestimate their academic performance.

Go For the Sure Thing: An Accounting Internship/Job-Seeking Discussion Case

After the choice of college and major, the next significant decision for many accounting students is an internship. Through the experience of one of our students, this discussion case provides an opportunity for others to 1) determine what job attributes are important, 2) develop expectations for an internship experience, and 3) create a decision model for job/internship acceptance. Our student Jason made a choice between Tiny CPAs and Big Regional Firm. Both firms were located ideally. The deciding factor was the likelihood of a position being available at graduation. The internship experience was adequate, but the job offer fell through

Al esconder, hide and seek: RicanStructing college choice for Puerto Rican students in urban schools

ABSTRACTDrawing from two data sets – one focused on students in high school actively engaged in the process of college choice, the other centering the perspectives of college graduates and their parents reflecting back on the process – this article critically examines the journeys of DiaspoRican students trying to gather information and make informed decisions about college choice. The authors focus on three ‘sites’ where students reported seeking and receiving information about the college going process – schools, parents, and community. The implications of this study suggest that understandings of college choice need to be complicated – or as we argue, RicanStructed – to center the experiences of specific groups of students of color, account for variation in the college choice processes within and across groups, and reflect more race and culture conscious approaches to increasing diversity in higher education.

Can Light‐Touch College‐Going Interventions Make a Difference? Evidence from a Statewide Experiment in Michigan

AbstractI conduct a statewide experiment in Michigan with nearly 50,000 high‐achieving high school seniors. Treated students are mailed a letter encouraging them to consider college and providing them with the web address of a college information website. I find that very high‐achieving, low‐income students, and very high‐achieving, minority students are the most likely to navigate to the website. Small changes to letter content affect take‐up. For example, highlighting college affordability induces 18 percent more students to the website than highlighting college choice, and 37 percent more than highlighting how to apply to college. I find a statistically precise zero impact on college enrollment among all students who were mailed the letter. However, low‐income students experience a small increase in the probability that they enroll in college, driven by increases at four‐year institutions. An examination of persistence through college, while imprecise, suggests that the students induced into college by the intervention persist at a lower rate than the inframarginal student.

Assessment in Choosing Higher Education: A Case of Indonesia

The decision of students to continue their studies is a decision after making considerations that are adjusted to the circumstances of a number of college choices. The purpose of this study is to examine the decisions of students to choose universities in Indonesia. The research method used is to compare the results of research and journals that examine students’ decision to choose a college. Then, examine the theories of consumer behavior so that it can be concluded what is considered by students. The results of previous studies show many influencing factors such as education costs, WOM, university reputation, location, lecture facilities, program accreditation and others. These results can be a reference and consideration for universities in Indonesia in attracting prospective students to choose certain universities and referring to others.

Влияние мировых рейтингов университетов на выбор вуза студентами из стран БРИКС

Влияние мировых рейтингов университетов на выбор вуза студентами из стран БРИКС

Strategic Manipulation of University Rankings, the Prestige Effect, and Student University Choice

A multiperiod, theoretical model characterizes the relationship between a publication that ranks universities and prospective students who might use this ranking to decide which university to attend. The published ranking offers information about the universities’ objective quality but also affects their prestige, which may increase student utility. This prestige effect gives the commercial publication incentive to act contrary to the best interest of the students. If a ranking created with the commonly used attribute-and-aggregate methodology creates prestige, then to maximize profit the publication needs to (1) choose attribute score weights that do not match student preferences and (2) alter those attribute score weights over time, even in the absence of changes to student preferences and/or education technology. Without a prestige effect, the publication should choose attribute score weights that match student preferences. This model also defines a student-optimal ranking methodology that maximizes the sum of the students’ utilities. The results offer insights for prospective students who use existing rankings to choose a university, as well as which ranking designs would better align with students’ preferences.

Perceived eWOM and Students’ University Enrolment Intentions: The Corporate Image as a Mediator

The advancement of internet technologies and the emergence of social media platforms have made the influence of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) more pronounced than ever before on consumers’ purchase decisions, especially young consumers who are more engaged with new technologies and social networks. Through social media platforms, young consumers nowadays are always connected to friends, families and organizations on smartphones, tablets or computers and actively look for eWOM before making purchase decisions. This study is aimed at examining the effect of perceived eWOM on the university enrolment intentions by the Saudi high school students mediated by the corporate image of the university. The sample comprised of 133 high school students studying in Saudi high secondary schools. The findings revealed that electronic word of mouth (eWOM) had a significant and positive association with the students’ enrolment intentions, and the corporate image mediates this relationship. This research’s findings and recommendations can largely help who are in charge of the private and public universities in Saudi Arabia to understand how eWOM shapes the university choices of students.

Factors driving university choice: a principal component analysis on Italian institutions

ABSTRACT When investigating students’ motivations to enrol in university, a wide range of elements related to the overall student experience should be taken into account. The current study moves from this point to analyse students’ choice factors from a survey completed by 27,504 students across 23 Italian institutions by means of a logistic principal component analysis. Results confirm the presence of multiple factors jointly influencing students’ choice, with geographical proximity, job opportunities in the region, university reputation and ease of access opposing one another. Aggregating results at the institutional level, students’ distribution proves to be highly heterogeneous across universities, which are selected for different contextual factors even within the same region. From this, a managerial tool is provided to position students’ population and derive strategic implications. This increases universities’ awareness and enables them to better focus on the main served population or to target a different one. Finally, policy considerations are reported.