Aligning Strategies of Institutes with Student Expectations: An Exploration of External Factors Shaping Students' Choice of Private Higher Education Institutes

Student enrollment and retention are critical aspects of the economic sustainability of a private higher education institute (HEI). However, due to the growing number of private HEIs worldwide, huge competition has been created among these institutes. This has resulted in institutes investing heavily in ineffective strategies because they are implemented without fully understanding student expectations. Due to this, student dropouts can also be observed. Failure to meet enrollment targets and dropouts not only creates revenue loss but also negatively affects the reputation of the HEIs, impacting the viability of the institute. Therefore, much interest has been generated in identifying the factors that motivate students when choosing an HEI. This study’s main aim is to conduct a review of the available literature and identify the external factors, namely HEI-related characteristics and the communication methods that influence students when choosing a private HEI that directly impact the institutes. The inclusion criteria for the chosen literature consisted of studies conducted on the motivational factors of undergraduates and high school students who were in the process of choosing an HEI. The literature reviewed shows that students are influenced by HEI-related characteristics such as the reputation of the HEI, course fees, facilities offered, employability of graduates, academic quality, and quality of faculty and by the information gathered through communication methods such as websites and social media advertisements. HEIs can consider these findings to develop policies, improve their facilities and activities, and formulate and implement marketing strategies through the communication channels identified in this study.