Students’ preferences for university: a conjoint analysis

Abstract

Tertiary education has become more competitive in recent years due to reductions in government funding and higher student fees. As the nature of the environment grows more competitive, the role of marketing, previously non‐existent in most universities, has grown significantly. One of the key pieces of information that would assist a university’s marketing effort is an understanding of what determines a student’s university preference. Examines university preference using a form of conjoint analysis, known as adaptive conjoint analysis (ACA), to investigate the importance of a number of attributes to high‐school leavers in Australia. Results indicate that the four most important determinants of university preference were course suitability, academic reputation, job prospects, and teaching quality, which has significance for education managers developing marketing strategies and programs.