Peran Customer Satisfaction dalam Memediasi Pengaruh Kualitas Pelayanan dan Persepsi Nilai terhadap Loyalitas pada Mahasiswa

This study investigates the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, perceived value, and customer loyalty among students of Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha. This research offers an integrated analytical framework that can serve as a foundation for developing more effective student loyalty strategies for higher education institutions amid increasingly intense competition. Triggered by a decline in new student enrollment in the 2023/2024 academic year, this research applies a quantitative causal approach using SEM-PLS to analyze data from 160 seventh-semester students across eight faculties, selected through proportional stratified random sampling. Results reveal that both service quality and perceived value have a positive and significant effect on customer loyalty, directly and indirectly through customer satisfaction. The study confirms a partial mediating effect of customer satisfaction, highlighting its strategic importance in enhancing student loyalty. This research contributes to higher education management by emphasizing that improving service quality and fostering positive perceived value are critical pathways to strengthening both student satisfaction and loyalty.