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Abstract

Competition in private higher education in Malaysia is intense and many institutions realize the need to review their branding strategies to become more competitive. In order to conceive a new branding strategy it is crucial that these institutions understand the expectations particularly of Malaysian Chinese students who dominate enrolment in the private education sector.
This study examines the expectations of Malaysian Chinese students on selected factors, identified in past research, that influence the choice of institutions in their application for admission. Two hundred Chinese students were randomly selected from several private institutions to respond to a questionnaire which tested on such variables as academic programme and staff, facilities, pricing, and promotion. Data collected were analysed using Factor Analysis and Comparison of Means. Based on the mean score analysis, factors that significantly influenced the choice of an institution of higher education for admission are found to be academic integrity, quality of teaching, duration of course, future employability, educational fees, foreign and local degrees offered, institutional reputation and track record, student testimonies and opportunities of exposure to new social environment. A few factors found to be significant in an earlier study had lost their importance and these are entry requirements, facilities and extra-curricula activities. It is clear that for branding strategies to work, an institution of higher education has to take into account expectations that matter most to students.

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