Factors influencing postgraduate students’ university choice decisions at the Vietnam National University

Abstract

Understanding postgraduate students' university choice criteria is essential for developing marketing strategies in higher education settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate postgraduate students’ perceptions in terms of their university choice decisions and evaluates the correlation between their personal and social support factors and university choice decisions. A questionnaire survey was disseminated to 401 postgraduate students from five member universities of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The findings revealed that rated a fairly high degree of agreement on university choice decisions and demographic characteristics differences exist regarding their choice (such as living place, registration level, university studies, and Admission methods). In addition, the findings also found that personal and social support factors had a statistically significant impact on their university choice decisions. The findings of this study carry both theoretical and practical implications for Vietnamese higher education. The suggestions inferred from university managers and other stakeholders are also discussed.