Given the current world-wide economic challenges, universities are being forced to better manage declining enrollments and financial resources. Because these institutions provide services that are intangible, it is often difficult to know how to measure “perceived quality” and “student satisfaction”, which are believed to affect purchase intentions.

The consumer arrives at preferences about which university to attend through his or her own unique evaluation process. There is no specific evaluative process used by all consumers, or even by one consumer in all situations. Student college choice has been defined as a “complex, multistage process during which an individual develops aspirations to continue formal education beyond high school, followed later by a decision to attend a specific college, university or institutions of advanced vocational training”.

From the Services Marketing literature, Purchase Intentions refers to a decision influenced by satisfaction, perceived service quality, and other attitudinal variables. According to the services marketing literature, satisfaction leads to these purchase intentions.

Sheldon C. Nord, PhD is the President of Universitas Pelita Harapan.