Determinants of students’ enrollment in cultural and creative industries: An empirical investigation in Vietnam

This study examined the determinants of Vietnamese students’ enrolment decisions in cultural and creative industries (CCIs) programmes. A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating survey data from 716 students across seven universities with 15 semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which identified three clusters of determinants, including personal, social, and environmental factors. Personal factors were found to exert the most decisive influence on enrolment decisions, followed by social and environmental factors. The qualitative analysis further corroborated these patterns and offered additional explanatory depth, particularly by highlighting the roles of individual interests and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). Collectively, the findings indicate the increasing salience of digitally mediated peer influence in higher education decision-making. On this basis, an integrative framework is proposed to explain enrolment decisions in emerging fields by linking individual dispositions with contextual determinants. The study contributes to the student enrolment decision-making literature by extending existing accounts to the CCI context. It provides implications for higher education institutions, policymakers and families seeking to strengthen student support, cultivate creative talent and align educational pathways with the development needs of the cultural and creative sector.