STUDENTS’ UNIVERSITY CHOICE PROCESS AND INFLUENCED FACTORS: A REVIEW STUDY

Abstract

In the current period, it has been a very significant and vital task for each educational institution to identify the factors that influence student's decisions to choose a university. This study was conducted to identify the students’ process of university selection and the factors that influenced students’ decision to choose their university. Based on the reviewed literature, three basic steps were identified, including students’ determination for university studies right at their high school time, their consideration of potential university groups, and their analysis and evaluation on related factors for the final decision. Subsequently, many factors that influenced students’ decisions were identified at the same time. Among them, the eight most prominent ones included university’s reputation and characteristics, university communication, advice from reference groups, university’s location, availability of training programs, learning and living costs, students’ personal characteristics and Students’ employment possibilities. Those factors served as important meanings and references so that educational institutions could prescribe effective enrollment policies, which contribute to attracting as many potential students as expected.