Academic consumerism: An exploration of the factors influencing the college choice of students

Against the backdrop of planned changes to the funding model of government funded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland the competition between institutions [1]for new entrants has increased and will intensify... [ view full abstract ]

Against the backdrop of planned changes to the funding model of government funded Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Ireland the competition between institutions [1]for new entrants has increased and will intensify further. Therefore, HEIs must focus on strategies to achieve long-run competitive advantage. One of the key strategies that would assist a college’s marketing and recruitment effort is an understanding of what determines a student’s college preference. This is critical as students have become more consumerist (Chapman, 1981). This study investigates, through an online survey (n=276), the factors influencing college choice in Ireland (Durkin and McKenna, 2011) and explores the marketing factors influencing this decision (Ryan, 2004). Findings show the various steps of student college choice and several forms and levels of influence were identified.