Determinants of education quality: what makes students’ perception different?

ABSTRACT In recent decades, the commercialization of education has become more apparent and the need for using marketing tools is greater than before. This study aims to identify the demographic and background information of students that differentiate their perception about quality of higher education. A sample of 432 students was taken from five top private universities of Bangladesh to evaluate their perception toward dimensions of higher education. Multinomial regression analysis was conducted to identify the characteristics of students which make their perception about quality of higher education dissimilar. The findings show that status of students for scholarship, extracurricular activities, parents’ education, age, previous result, and university they study in have a significant influence on perception about quality of higher education. Part-time job status has moderate influence on the students’ perception. This research carries value to education policy-makers and university authorities. They can use these findings to formulate regulations, and target specific groups of students to ensure favorable academic environment and increase the brand image of their institutions.