Consumer Behaviour and Student Motivation Influence the Choice of Higher Learning Institutions in Nigeria

Higher institutions are competing for the finite number of students and access to funding; therefore, in recent years, there has been an upsurge of time and money being spent on marketing and promotion in the academic community. The current study employs a quantitative approach to understanding the factors related to why students choose a university. The participants in this study are undergraduate students from two federal universities in Nigeria. The most influential factor for students is the course accreditation, this indicates that courses being offered at the university are a key motivation for prospective students when they make the decision to study in a programme. Location and parental influence were also confirmed as factors that can influence student choice. The findings from the current study can also help authorities and policymakers to develop a marketing strategy to attract and retain students.