Evaluative Criteria for Selection of Higher Education Institutions in Nigeria

Abstract

A higher education institution (HEI) like any other business institution, needs to understand its customers’ needs and wants in order to remain competitive and survive among higher education providers. Although general empirical studies reported factors which influence students’ choice of tertiary education institutions in many countries, there is a dearth of related literature on these factors in Nigeria. This study investigated the evaluative criteria used by students and parents in the selection of higher education institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria. The empirical analysis indicated HEIs choice was significantly impacted on by the location, teaching quality and opinion of parents, facilities, reputation and proximity. However, the cost of programme and security do not have significant effect on the choice of HEIs. It is therefore recommended that managers of HEIs should concentrate on the variables that significantly impacted on the choice of HEIs.