Enrolment management and consumer behaviour in higher education: a case study of successfully positioning and marketing an educational institution with reference to college choice factors

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence students to attend Cyprus College. The college could utilise the outcome of the study for the development of its strategic student recruitment plan as well as for market
positioning and promotion.
The competition in recruiting more students and retaining them has become fiercer than ever before. Facing a growing competitive environment, higher education institutions are mobilising all the resources for recruiting and updating their programs, services and campuses to become more attractive to students and their parents. Anticipating students' expectations could be one of the most effective tools that colleges hold in order to face the new highly competitive environment.
The survey instrument utilised to collect data on college choice factors was a self-administered questionnaire, developed by the researcher based on a review of the literature on college choice, the researcher's personal experience as an administrator in the field of college education and information received from a focus group. Descriptive and multivariate statistics, including frequencies,
cross-tabulations, factor analysis and reliability tests have been used to present and analyse the data.
With a clear understanding of the factors influencing students to enrol at Cyprus College, it will be in a better position to target and promote those qualities/characteristics important for the effectiveness of recruitment and enrolment activities. In addition, the College can use the outcome of the study to strengthen areas that need improvement by adjusting the college characteristics (operational and strategic), so that they would be more consistent with those desired by students. Several recommendations have been
put forward in this study, and they are expected to serve as a guideline not only for Cyprus College management but also to other higher education leaders who wish to improve the effectiveness of their marketing and recruiting efforts.