Analyzing Career Counseling and Guidance Services Among Romanian Universities: A Quantitative Approach to Students’ Perception

This study aimed to evaluate Romanian university students’ perceptions of career counseling and guidance (CCG) services provided in 2022–2023. A quantitative methodology was employed, analyzing survey data (n = 7402 respondents from 18 universities) to explore awareness of, utilization of, and satisfaction with such services. Data analysis via SPSS included descriptive statistics (mean, median, standard deviation), bivariate correlations (Pearson, Spearman), and Chi-Square tests to identify significant relationships between variables, such as academic year, knowledge of CCG staff/services, and overall service evaluation. Preliminary results suggest low rates of CCG awareness and use, highlighting a disparity between student needs and available resources. This study contributes to understanding the Romanian CCG context by integrating theoretical perspectives from the international literature on dropout prevention, workforce adaptability in the digital age, and higher education quality assurance models. Limitations regarding reliance on secondary data and subjective response biases are discussed, and directions for future research aimed at improving CCG efficacy and student career transition support are proposed. Complete findings will be presented in the full work, providing an empirical foundation for CCG policy and strategy development aimed at enhancing career guidance services in Romanian higher education.