Applicants' institution selection criteria in the higher education: An empirical study in Hungarian higher education management

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show what are the applicants' institution selection criteria in higher education in Hungary and what changes this will imply in higher education management and communication. These questions were investigated based on a review of the most relevant literature and the analysis of 1396 Hungarian higher education University of Pécs applicants in two consecutive years. Exploratory and confirmative factor analyses were used to identify the relative order of the application influencing factors: as a result, the first most important is the vivacity, followed by career and costs, fourth is image and the last one is the low commitment. In this context, the paper has shown that the identification of the application strategies requires renewed management and communication techniques. The results help the institutions to determine the possible actions to be implemented to attract more students and improve the level of offered services. The permanent system change of the Hungarian higher education as a phenomenon versus the applicants' institution selection criteria gives the uniqueness of the Hungarian situation, and this study provides information for researchers in higher education in this field additionally.