Empirical Research on Student Satisfaction with Career Services in Public Universities

Abstract

Providing long-term career guidance is an increasingly important role of public universities. Career services have become one of the most important evaluation factors for universities. This study used a mixed-methods approach to track and measure students satisfaction with career services in a public university in China. We designed and validated a questionnaire, then distributed it to university students. The questionnaire explored factors comprising the perceived quality of career services, with 20 quality indicators (e.g., employment skills training). According to the results, the perceived usefulness of career services was statistically significantly correlated with student satisfaction. The factors affecting student satisfaction varied with students’ grades. All 20 indicators had an impact on student satisfaction. The top three indicators contributing to higher satisfaction levels were the teacher’s teaching capacity, teacher’s knowledge, and guidance on career planning. The results led us to suggest that public universities can strengthen career services by enlisting the participation of all teachers, developing student-centered programs, and offering a wide variety of enrichment activities to improve the employability of graduates.