What students want: using a choice modelling approach to estimate student demand. Issue 2 (3rd March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sheppard, Paula; Smith, Richard
• Is Part Of: Journal of higher education policy and management. Volume 38:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 140
• Page End: 149
• Publication Date: 2016-03-03
• Subjects: Discrete choice experiment -- higher education institution -- stated choice -- student demand -- willingness to pay; Universities and colleges -- Administration -- Periodicals; 378.1005
• DOI: 10.1080/1360080X.2016.1150236
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1360-080X

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Higher education institutions operate in an increasingly competitive global market, and require precise knowledge regarding the preferences of potential students. Traditional methods for evaluating what potential students look for in a degree tend to be descriptive, and while informative, do not assess the strength of students' preferences; how important they are relative to each other, and hence where efforts and investments may best be targeted. To do this, more statistically rigorous methods are required. We used a discrete choice experiment to estimate the relative importance of the attributes that inform student choice and also quantify these trade-offs in monetary terms using 'willingness to pay'. Using data from a UK postgraduate institution we illustrate how this method can be applied and can provide an accurate measure of student preferences as well as quantifying the trade-offs students are willing to make. Our results show that staff expertise, and flexibility of the teaching platform, were the attributes that students most highly value when choosing a postgraduate degree.