Factor identification of higher education choice to enhance brand awareness of state university

Abstract

The commercialization of higher education through the concept of Perguruan Tinggi Negeri Berbadan Hukum (PTN-BH) has led the higher competition among State University and Private University. It becomes a threat and challenge faced by State University in recruiting new students. A clearer understanding of why and how students choose universities is needed to develop the brand awareness enhancement strategies of State University. This paper aims to identify the factors that influence student's decision of university choice, without regarding the individual aspects. The Deplhi technique is used at the stage of information gathering, in which four experts from higher education were being interviewed. The combination of HEdPERF dimensions and brand awareness indicators were used to develop the variables. The pilot study done through the sample of 1st-year undergraduate students enrolled in the Top 8 State Universities in Indonesia for the validation test using SPSS 16.0. This findings result that there are six factors in choosing higher education, including academics, facilities, campus life, reputation, industry linkage and access. The test and evaluations result that from 28 items proposed, there are 23 items that can be considered as the student's decision in their choice of State University.