Determinants of Higher Institution Choice by Agriculture Undergraduate Students in Botswana

Abstract

In this study, authors explored major factors that undergraduate students in Botswana consider vital in influencing their higher education institution choice decisions. It was based on a survey of 300 admitted students at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, to which 91.33 % (274/300) of the sample responded. Data was collected using a questionnaire and analysed by coding and using Microsoft Excel package. Results show that the choice decision is based on a number of factors, with the main factors being location of the institution, availability of relevant study programmes, institutional reputation and how the institution marketing and advertise itself to potential students. The findings may have important implications for an institution’s positioning in the competitive student recruitment market, and for re-evaluating marketing and advertising strategies. Recommendations are made on the basis of the main findings.

Keywords: higher education, higher education institution, undergraduate, choice decision, BUAN.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-18-07

Publication date:June 30^th 2019