DOES RELIGIOUS PROXIMITY MATTER? UNIVERSITY BRAND AWARENESS AMONG MADRASAH ALIYAH STUDENTS IN SEMARANG

Increasing competition among higher education institutions has made university branding an important strategic consideration in attracting prospective students. This study aims to analyze and compare the level of brand awareness of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Walisongo, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), and Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) among Madrasah Aliyah students in Semarang City. A quantitative comparative approach was employed involving 231 Grade 12 students from 18 Madrasah Aliyah institutions selected through proportional simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring five dimensions of brand awareness, namely brand recall, brand recognition, top-of-mind awareness, brand confidence, and brand familiarity. Data analysis was conducted using One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), followed by the Least Significant Difference (LSD) post-hoc test. The results reveal significant differences in brand awareness among the three universities (F = 125.219, p < 0.001). The pairwise comparison shows that UNDIP has the highest level of brand awareness, followed by UNNES, while UIN Walisongo records the lowest level. These findings indicate that religious and educational proximity does not automatically generate stronger brand awareness toward an Islamic higher education institution among Madrasah Aliyah students. The study highlights the need for Islamic higher education institutions, particularly PTKIN, to strengthen institutional positioning through consistent branding, integrated digital communication, clearer academic differentiation, and sustained engagement with prospective students. Future studies should examine factors such as institutional reputation, digital engagement, brand trust, word of mouth, and perceived academic quality as potential determinants of university brand awareness. ABSTRAK Persaingan yang semakin ketat antarperguruan tinggi menjadikan branding universitas sebagai salah satu aspek strategis dalam menarik perhatian calon mahasiswa. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis dan membandingkan tingkat brand awareness Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Walisongo, Universitas Negeri Semarang (UNNES), dan Universitas Diponegoro (UNDIP) pada siswa Madrasah Aliyah di Kota Semarang. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif komparatif dengan melibatkan 231 siswa kelas XII dari 18 Madrasah Aliyah yang dipilih melalui teknik proportional simple random sampling. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan kuesioner terstruktur yang mengukur lima dimensi brand awareness, yaitu brand recall, brand recognition, top-of-mind awareness, brand confidence, dan brand familiarity. Data dianalisis menggunakan One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), kemudian dilanjutkan dengan uji post-hoc Least Significant Difference (LSD). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya perbedaan yang signifikan pada tingkat brand awareness ketiga universitas (F = 125,219; p < 0,001). Hasil perbandingan antar kelompok menunjukkan bahwa UNDIP memiliki tingkat brand awareness tertinggi, disusul UNNES, sedangkan UIN Walisongo berada pada tingkat terendah. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa kedekatan agama dan latar belakang pendidikan tidak secara otomatis menghasilkan brand awareness yang lebih kuat terhadap perguruan tinggi Islam di kalangan siswa Madrasah Aliyah. Penelitian ini menegaskan pentingnya perguruan tinggi Islam, khususnya PTKIN, untuk memperkuat positioning institusi melalui branding yang konsisten, komunikasi digital yang terintegrasi, diferensiasi akademik yang lebih jelas, serta keterlibatan berkelanjutan dengan calon mahasiswa. Penelitian selanjutnya dapat menguji reputasi institusi, keterlibatan digital, brand trust, word of mouth, dan persepsi kualitas akademik sebagai faktor yang berpotensi memengaruhi brand awareness perguruan tinggi.