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QAE
21,4

Factors influencing student

choice to study at private higher
education institutions

402
Received 3 April 2012
Revised 13 November 2012
Accepted 2 April 2013

Mahsood Shah
English Language and Foundation Studies Centre, The University of Newcastle,
Callaghan, Australia

Chenicheri Sid Nair

Centre for Advancement of Teaching and Learning,
University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, and

Lorraine Bennett
Centre for Innovation Learning and Professional Practice, Ballarat University,
Melbourne, Australia
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to make a contribution to the current lack of literature in the Australian
context by reviewing qualitative feedback collected from students in five private higher education
institutions. In particular, the paper seeks to examine factors influencing student choice to study at
private higher education institutions and student perceptions of such institutions. Previous studies on
this topic are mostly focussed on universities with lack of research with the booming private higher
education sector.
Design/methodology/approach This study draws data from five different private for-profit
higher education institutions in Australia. It involved feedback from 120 students undertaking higher
education courses in different discipline areas at different stages of study. The study involved 15 focus
group interviews with eight students in a group. The selection of students was based on the
representation of different characteristics of student such as: male/female, domestic/international, and
discipline areas.
Findings An analysis of the data collected from the students across these five institutions indicated
that the main factors influencing student choice can be grouped in six domains. These are: student
perception; access and opportunity; learning environments; quality of teachers; course design; and
graduate success. This study reinforces that student perception of the private for-profit higher
education institutions is an important factor in influencing student choice to study at the institution.
Research limitations/implications The limitation of the study was the ability to interview more
students from larger colleges, across all discipline areas. However, the time and length of the focus
group interviews was largely managed by the five institutions.
Originality/value The private higher education sector has experienced consistent growth in the
last few years in Australia. Currently, there is no qualitative research done in Australian private
higher education on factors influencing student choice to study with private institutions. The rise of
such providers require research on insights about student choice, student expectation and their
experience.
Quality Assurance in Education
Vol. 21 No. 4, 2013
pp. 402-416
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/QAE-04-2012-0019

Keywords Private education, Higher education, Student choice, Student perception, Australia
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
The Australian tertiary education sector comprises 36 public universities, three
private, one foreign university, four self-accrediting institutions and more than 170
private higher education institutions (AUQA, 2010) that offer and confer qualifications
at all levels in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF). The tertiary education
sector also includes many publicly-funded technical and further education (TAFE)
institutes, which have traditionally offered vocational courses and are now also
providing higher education courses. The tertiary sector has more than 4,800 private
and community-based registered training organisations offering vocational
qualifications, with some also offering higher education courses.
Higher education was traditionally only offered by public and private universities.
However, in recent years there has been a rise of non-university providers such as
private higher education institutions offering courses in specialised areas. While the
sector has grown significantly in many parts of the world, with predictions of future
growth, there is limited research on factors influencing student choice to study in
private higher education institutions and their actual experience related to teaching,
learning, education outcomes and support services. This paper aims to address the
current gap by providing analysis based on interviews with 120 higher education
students in five large to small private higher education institutions in Australia. The
study is timely in the Australian context as the private sector is experiencing growth in
both traditional face-to-face and external mode of delivery with significant challenges
related to quality assurance. Private higher education institutions in this paper are
non-university providers offering higher education courses.
Insights about student choice to study with private higher education institutions are
important as the Australian Government introduces two key policies which will drive
competition and diversity within the sector. These policies include: a shift from
funding projected student enrolments in universities to a demand driven model which
funds actual student places (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011a). The second
government policy which will impact on the growth in private higher education
institutions involves the introduction of student access and participation performance
funding. In particular, the government aims to increase the number of citizens who
complete tertiary education to the bachelor degree level. To support this overall aim the
government has put in place a number of incentives and funding initiatives which are
available to students wanting to access private higher education (Commonwealth of
Australia, 2009a). Examples include the extension of government funding such as
subsidised student loans to private providers; unmet student demand in traditional
universities (8.1 per cent in 2009) in Australia as a result of the growing demand of
higher education (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009a); and the political interest of
governments in private higher education due to limited public funding which brings
public benefit at low public cost (McCowan, 2004).
In the Australian context some additional external factors have played a key role in
the ongoing growth of private higher education institutions. These include: huge
investments made by private providers and consortiums in terms of expansion;
acquisition and mergers of small family owned private higher education institutions
with large consortiums; the recognition and growth of student population during the
global financial crisis with education seen as a marketable commodity when many
other sectors of business witnessed a downturn; and large investments made by
private higher education institutions in marketing and advertising their courses (Shah
and Lewis, 2010).

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Apart from government policy and external factors, student choice has also played
a key role in the ongoing growth of private higher education institutions. The ease of
entry in private colleges provides students with an alternative choice to access and
participate in tertiary education which was not traditionally provided by universities
(Shah and Nair, 2013). The market forces and increased student choice have resulted in
the growth of private higher education institutions who cater for a wide range of
students including mature aged and students who may not be ready for direct entry
into universities due to low academic achievement in high schools. Recent studies in
USA also suggest the growth of private higher education institutions offering courses
in flexible and online learning mode (Jee-Kim and Bonk, 2006).
The increasing tuition fees in universities and private higher education institutions
and growth of students have increased consumer interest in quality, standards and
value for money for higher education (Shah and Nair, 2011). Most research related to
private higher education in Australia suggest that some of the distinctive features of
private higher education in Australia include: vocational orientated learning with
opportunity for students to undertake work experience while studying; quality of
teachers; small class size; personalised academic support services; high student
satisfaction on the national Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) compared to
public universities; and high graduate employment rate, approximately 8-10 per cent
higher than university graduates (Shah and Brown, 2009; Shah and Nair, 2011). While
the private sector in Australia has experienced consistent growth of 20 per cent in the
last few years, there is limited study on factors influencing student choice to study with
private higher education institutions. Previous research in the Australian context have
revolved around quantitative research (Shah and Brown, 2009) and this study is based
on qualitative data collected from 120 students on factors influencing their choice to
study with five private higher education institutions.
Conceptual framework
Most studies on factors influencing student choice to study with a particular institution
of higher education are based on universities in the USA and UK. There is limited
research worldwide on factors influencing student choice to study with private higher
education institutions despite the growth of the sector in many parts of the world. The
study is pertinent in the current context of higher education in Australia with
government policies encouraging institutional diversity and increased competition
between providers.
International growth of private higher education
The growth of private higher education has been experienced in many parts of the
world including Europe, the USA, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia,
Malaysia, India, China, Hong Kong, South Africa, Taiwan, Brazil, Uganda, Kenya,
Tanzania and the Philippines (Gupta, 2008). The private higher education sector caters
for more than 70 per cent of students in India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia
and Philippines, more than 30 per cent in Mainland China, more than 15 per cent in
Thailand and Vietnam (Gupta, 2008) and 9.3 per cent in New Zealand (Xiaoying and
Abbott, 2008). In China, students favour private higher education institutions for
acquiring vocational knowledge or a clear future career orientation (Wei, 2006, p. 8).
Private higher education is also growing in the Middle East. According to Al-Atiqi and
Alharbi (2009), the private sector in Kuwait is expected to grow by 45,000 students by

2025, which will exceed enrolments in public universities. In Europe, private higher
education enrolments range from 66.6 per cent in Cyprus; 34.1 per cent in Poland and
31.9 per cent in Latvia. Growth is also predicted in the countries such as Portugal,
Georgia and Bulgaria. In Africa, the growth of private higher education is evident in
countries like Gabon with 47 per cent enrolments; Mozambique 32 per cent and
Ethiopia 24 per cent (UNESCO, 2009).
Across the world, traditional universities are losing their monopoly with large
numbers of private higher education institutions entering higher education. Private
higher education institutions are found to be more adaptable to the changing needs of
the market and to provide a wider choice of job-related skills to students and
employers. According to Levy (2007, p. 11), these institutions are generally more
secular, culturally diverse, less politicised and learner-friendly. A study
undertaken by Oketch (2009) in three African countries suggests that private higher
education institution has improved access to university education, and that it could
play a strategic role in further widening participation in future. According to
Jalowiecki (2001), private higher education in Poland is more responsive to the
demands of the economy and tends to operate more efficiently. Studies by Galbraith
(2003) in countries such as Poland and Romania, where private higher education
enrolments are almost one third of tertiary students, concluded that private institutions
were better able to meet the higher education needs of these societies.
Chae and Hongs (2009) research also mirror previous research work in that it shows
that private higher education has played a significant role in making higher education
accessible in Korea. For example, it has increased the participation of people in the
25-64 year age group to 32 per cent, which is 6 per cent higher than the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average. McCowan (2004) suggests
that the existence of private higher education in Brazil, with its advantages of ease of
entry, flexible hours and locations outside metropolitan areas, has led to many
Brazilians gaining a university degree who would not otherwise have been able to
access publicly-funded tertiary institutions. According to Lee (2008), private higher
education institutions tend to offer courses that do not require high capital cost. Private
providers are well informed about market intelligence and growth avenues, and use
innovative marketing strategies to reach prospective students. Enrolments in private
institutions in the USA jumped by 225 per cent from 1998 to 2008; this was more than
seven times the rate for all post-secondary programs. The Apollo Groups University of
Phoenix, the biggest proprietary college, now enrols 476,500 students. In 2008-2009,
around $24 billion in federal loans went to private colleges (The Economist, 2010).
Recent studies suggest a declining trend in the growth of private higher education in
countries such as Portugal, Georgia, and Japan (Levy, 2010), Colombia (Uribe, 2010),
and Thailand (Praphamontripong, 2010).
A snap shot of private higher education in Australia
In 2010, the total commencing student enrolment in private higher education
institutions was 43,676 which constitutes 9 per cent of the total higher education
enrolment. The sector has consistently experienced growth with increases of 2.5 per
cent in 2010; 20.5 per cent in 2009; and 21.7 per cent in 2008. By comparison, the
commencing student growth in Australian public universities was 3.8 per cent in 2010;
8.6 per cent in 2009; and 3.9 per cent in 2008. The growth in 2010 in private high
education sector is low compared to the average growth of 20 per cent in the previous

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two years. This is primarily due to the decline in international student enrolments
(Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). New trends appear in the recent data with 78.3 per
cent growth of commencing student enrolments in external mode of delivery compared
to 1.2 per cent in public universities (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011b).
The growth of private higher education is mainly driven by customer demand. It is
agile and responsive to the market and draws on business models of operation to
capitalise on growth opportunities. This is particularly evident in the marketing and
self-funding strategies most private providers employ. Private higher education is also
quick to adapt to new modes of education delivery with growing number of providers
offering flexible and online learning (Shah and Nair, 2013). In recent years new
relationships between private institutions and public universities in Australia have
started to emerge involving partnerships and pathway programs. These arrangements
benefit private higher education institutions in that they allow them to offer their
students pathways to advanced study. They benefit universities in that they shore up a
steady stream of future students which is critical in a highly competitive student
driven market (Shah and Lewis, 2010).
Private higher education in Australia has been particularly attractive to students
who were disadvantaged with direct access to university education due to their
performance in high schools or for mature age adults who commenced employment
after completing high school. Despite the lack of government policy and incentives for
such providers to provide access and opportunity for disadvantaged students, many
providers have large proportion of students from diverse backgrounds. A study
undertaken by Shah and Lewis (2010) suggests that almost 45-48 per cent of students
in some private higher education institutions are first in the immediate family to
undertake tertiary education; 37-45 per cent mature age students and in one college 68
per cent of students are female. This analysis suggests that the private sector in
Australia is playing a key role in providing access, opportunity and pathway for many
domestic and international students who would not have direct access to tertiary
education in traditional universities. While some critics from the university sector
question the credibility of some private higher education institutions and the quality
and standard of education offered, it is clear that private providers are growing rapidly
(Commonwealth of Australia, 2009a, b) and the sector is catering for a cohort of student
who would not have the opportunity to access tertiary education based exclusively on
a secondary school performance score. Characteristics such as small class size with an
average of 20 students; vocational orientated education with opportunity for students
to undertake work based learning with employers; opportunity for students to link
with prospective employers while studying; use of leading industry practitioners as
teachers; short duration of courses (e.g. diploma in one year); and use of technology in
learning with significant student support for online learning are some of the many
features which make private higher education attractive to a growing cohort of
students (Shah and Brown, 2009).
Previous research on student choice and experience in private higher
education
Investigation into factors influencing student choice to study in an institution is
important for a number of reasons. Primarily it gives the institution an understanding
of the reasons why students choose a particular institution over others. Second, the
information obtained can and should be used by institutions to assist in the

development of their marketing strategies. The knowledge on student choice and

perception of an institution can also help institutions to understand student
expectations and strategies that could be implemented to improve the student
experience. In addition, it gives empirical evidence to the institutions to strive for
change. For example, Agronow and Hengstler (1995) study at the University of
California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) identified problems with top students rejecting
UCSB because of its academic reputation.
There is limited research study on factors influencing student choice in private
higher education in Australia. Most research to-date is based on universities and
publicly funded community colleges in the USA and UK using quantitative method.
Chapman (1981) suggests three factors influencing student choice. They include:
information obtained from friends, parents and high school staff, second: institutional
characteristics such as cost and location and finally, institutional effort to communicate
with students. In addition Joseph and Josephs study (1998) with 300 students found
such factors as service quality and the value of education and the degree also
important in influencing student. Similar findings were also found in a study
undertaken in Scotland with accounting and engineering students. The study
undertaken by Briggs (2006) suggested that academic reputation, distance from home,
and location were also key factors in student choice. Studies undertaken by Canale et al.
(1996) and Coccari and Javalgi (1995) in the USA suggest that quality of teachers,
academic reputation and cost were seen as the top three highly ranked items
influencing student choice of university. Research on factors influencing student choice
to study in higher education has so far shown that the most important factors include
characteristics related to quality of the institution, quality of teachers or quality of
academic programs and infrastructure. Studies undertaken with both students and
parents by Broekemier and Seshadri (1999) show that the quality of program of study,
campus safety, cost and academic reputation as the top key criteria used by students
and parents to choose institutions.
The only quantitative study undertaken in Australia with 750 students on factors
influencing student choice to study with a private higher education institution suggest
that the top three reasons in rank order are: quality of teaching staff; quality of courses;
and reputation of the college (Shah and Brown, 2009). Despite the growth of private
higher education, there is no qualitative research which has attempted to find out the
factors influencing student choice to study with private higher education colleges. Such
study is important as the private sector continues to grow in both traditional
face-to-face learning and external mode of delivery. The study on factors influencing
growth is timely as governments are also introducing policies to encourage higher
education diversity and to provide publicly available information on MyUniversity
web site for the public to assess the quality and performance of universities.
Methodology
The research is based on qualitative study undertaken with five private higher
education institutions in Australia. The institutional size varied between 300 and 5,000
students offering courses in diverse disciplines including: business and commence,
journalism, health and sciences, and graphic and interior design. A sample of 24
students were interviewed from each institution using structured open ended questions
(See the Appendix). The questions were related to the factors influencing student
choice to study with private higher education institutions, and students views on

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whether their expectations met their actual experience. The paper only aims to explore
the factors influencing student choice. The representative sample of 24 students in each
institution aligned with the student profile of the institution with student
characteristics such as: male/female, domestic/international, and discipline areas.
Two private higher education institutions offered diploma and advanced diploma
courses with pathways into universities and the other three offered their own
undergraduate degrees. A total of 15 focus group interviews where held with eight
students in a group. Three external interviewers were engaged to run focus group
interviews with expertise in the measurement and enhancement of student experience.
The interviewers first reviewed the student profile from each of the five institutions
and identified the number of students in each category. Students were invited to be
part of the focus group interviews with formal e-mail invitation sent by the
institutional quality unit. Telephone follow up was undertaken with the quality unit to
confirm student attendance.
The reviewers communicated the purpose of the focus group interviews to each
group and confirmed anonymity of their feedback. The main purpose of the study was
to find out the factors influencing student choice to study with private higher education
institutions and their experience of teaching, course of study, and other aspects of
learning. All students in the focus group interviews were invited to provide
comments/feedback on the questions asked.
The limitation of the study was the ability to interview more students from larger
colleges, across all discipline areas. However, the time and length of the focus group
interviews was largely managed by the five institutions.
Findings and discussion
Student choice
The qualitative study on factors influencing student choice to study with private
higher education institutions is unique. So far, there is no qualitative study in the
Australian context across five different institutions on factors influencing student
choice despite the ongoing growth of private higher education.
An analysis of the data collected from the students across these five institutions
indicated that the main factors influencing student choice can be grouped in six
domains. These are: student perception; access and opportunity; learning
environments; quality of teachers; course design; and graduate success. Table I
outlines these key factors influencing student choice to study in private higher
education institutions. The six domain areas illustrated in Table I are aligned to
quality cycle discourse including input, processes and outcomes.
Generally, all students portrayed themselves as confident consumers who were well
informed of the institutions and their needs. This translated into student making
decisions about where to study with clear expectations of the course requirements, the
nature of the study and workload and the end product (qualification/employment).
This study reinforces that student perception of the private higher education
institutions is an important factor in influencing student choice to study at the
institution and align with the study in universities carried out by Briggs (2006), Canale
et al. (1996) and Coccari and Javalgi (1995). Almost 60 per cent of students who enrol in
private higher education institutions do so because of the reputation of the institutions.
Tied in with this is on how the institution is perceived by alumni, current students and
employers of institution graduates. Some students interviewed reported that they had

Reputation
Word of mouth
Transfer from university to
private college due to referral
Input

Student perception

Course design
Duration
Practical nature
Work experience
Flexibility
Specialised course
relevant to professions

Teachers
Teachers from
industry
Easy accessibility
One to one interaction
with teacher

Learning environment
Small class size
Personalised environment
Online learning
Student profile (mature age
in some colleges)
Hands on experience
Processes

Access and
opportunity
Pathway to university
Stepping stone in
tertiary education
Ease of entry
Location
Completing degree
via pathway

Success of
graduates
Doing well in
industry
Outcomes

Graduate
success

Factors
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Table I.
Factors influencing
student choice to study in
private higher education
institutions

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transferred from university education to a private higher education institution because

of the positive learning environment. The main reasons backing this were the small
class size in private colleges; a personalised learning environment; and greater
flexibility. These same reasons were echoed by the other students interviewed as their
main reasons for choosing a private higher education institution. This suggests that
the positive student experience of the course, teaching and the overall institution is
largely based on the institutions ability to manage student expectations with flexibility
to change systems and processes based on the insights on what matters to students in
terms of their expectations.
In many instances employers in professions such as counselling, psychotherapy,
naturopathy, Chinese medicine, design, hospitality and journalism have played a
critical role in student choice. The professions have on a number of occasions
recommended students to consider private higher education institutions instead of the
traditional route through universities. Supporting this view were employers who
endorsed courses in private higher education institutions because of their personal
experience and the standard of private institutions graduates that they now employ.
Another key factor influencing student choice that came out strongly in student
interviews was the positive response to the alternative opportunity to participate in
tertiary education provided by the private higher education institutions. This factor
has shown to be important in a study carried out by Oketch (2009) in Africa.
approximately, 80 per cent students reported that not only did the private higher
education institutions provide an alternative pathway into university studies; they also
offered a more staged transition from secondary to post-secondary education for those
who were not ready or who were ineligible for direct entry into university. Students
reported that private higher education institutions at the diploma or associate degree
level enabled transition from work to tertiary education or from high school to tertiary
education. For many students who did not perform well in high schools, private higher
education has provided access and opportunity to participate in higher education
which they may not have accessed directly through the university. In addition, many
students also reported that the ease of access enabled them to continue their education
with the hope of success and a second chance to succeed after experiencing low
academic achievement in high school. While these students had low academic
achievement in high schools, they were keen to complete an undergraduate degree
through the opportunity provided by private higher education institutions to achieve
their goals and career aspirations. Supporting this is the enrolment data in one private
higher education institution where 42 per cent of students enrolled had high school
achievement below the normal cut off accepted in universities with 37 per cent being
mature age students and 45 per cent students first in the immediate family to
undertake tertiary education. Though this demographic data revealed a diverse
student cohort, the data also showed good course completion rates. For example,
course completions in one provider was as high as 95 per cent with 94 per cent of
students finding employment on completion of courses in their field of study (Shah and
Nair, 2013).
The location of the institution near public transport and its accessibility within the
city precinct also played a key role in student choice. This supports studies of
Chapman (1981) and Briggs (2006) who found that location played an important part in
choice of provider. This was highlighted by students from all five institutions who are
located near to the public transport. Students liked the fact that the institution was in

the heart of urban life and transportation was not an issue and they did have to rely on
private transportation to access the campus.
The learning environment was also a factor that was identified as influencing
student choice to study in private higher education institutions. The small class size
with an average of 16-23 students and the opportunity for students to interact with the
peers and the teacher were reported as attractive features for many students, including
those who transferred from universities. Prior to enrolment, many students visited the
institution during open days. Many students reported that their visits and
conversations with course advisors and institution staff along with the small and
personalised learning environments had influenced their decision to study at the
institution. In two of the institutions, a large proportion of students were female
mature-aged students. This feature was a draw card in at least two of the institutions
which tended to recruit and attract students from similar age groups who were
searching for ongoing peer support and networks of colleagues with similar study
aspirations.
The provision of online study was also an attraction of some students in
institutions. Students studying through online learning modes in courses such as
counselling, human resources, and business management reported that they are able to
complete the full course from remote regions across Australia where access to tertiary
education with work experience is often difficult. The emergence of online learning in
private higher education and its continued growth in the area will undoubtedly
improve access and participation of many students from remote regions.
The quality of teaching staff was identified as a key factor influencing student
choice to study with private higher education institutions and lines up with an earlier
quantitative study reporting the positive influence of teaching in private higher
education (Shah and Brown, 2009). Private higher education institutions in Australia
have a large proportion of teaching staff who are engaged in a sessional capacity. In
the main teachers are drawn from industry and professions and bring to the learning
experience relevant and up-to-date industry experience. Most students in private
higher education institutions believe that the use of leading industry practitioners as
teachers provides up-to-date knowledge on changing practices in various industries
and more importantly it enables students to connect with employers and industry via
the teachers. The small class size also allowed regular contact with teachers.
Another factor influencing student choice was the design of the courses. The shorter
course duration such as a one year diploma and a one-and-a-half to two year associate
degree is seen as an attractive option and provides flexibility for many students. The
practical nature of courses which have work experience or employer based practicums
and a placement embedded in their courses is a strong feature of the courses. Both
students and employers view the practical experience as preparing work ready
graduates with key employability skills attained prior to completing the course. This
benefit was prominent in student feedback related to why they had chosen the course
and the institution. Many institutions develop a highly regarded reputation for these
niche areas and attract new students because of the high profile alumni and teaching
staff in specialised areas.
Finally, one of the main factors influencing student choice was the success of
private higher education institutions graduates in industry. Private higher education
graduates who complete courses in health and wellness areas such as counselling,
naturopathy, psychotherapy and other areas open their own practice with successful
outcomes. The five private higher education institutions included in this study have

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more than 90 per cent of their graduates in part time or full time work in their
professions after completing their courses.
The factors influencing student choice to study with private higher education
institutions align with Abraham Maslows (1965) need hierarchy. Most of the factors
contributing student choice are mostly related to social needs such as: pathway and
opportunity to access university education; ease of entry; location of the college; small
class size; flexible study options; profile of students (e.g. same age group or gender),
etc. The social needs are related to demographic marketing segmentation which is
focused on consumers from certain demographics. In the case of student choice in
private higher education, most students who enrolled with private higher education
institutions may not have attained high results in secondary education. Therefore,
private higher education provides an alternative pathway with ease of entry with
transition from college to university education for such group of students. According to
Patterson et al. (1998) higher education is a pure service and is characterised by a
greater amount of interpersonal contact, complexity, divergence, and customization
than other service businesses. Most of the quality attributes in higher education cannot
be perceived, felt, or tested in advance (Cubillo et al., 2006). Early structural models
(Gambetta (1996), Roberts (1984) and Ryrie (1981) explain choice in the context of
institutional, economic and cultural constraints imposed upon choosers whose
decisions can be predicted along socio-economic, cultural and ethnic lines. Such models
have been used to predict and explain participation and progression of students into
higher education.
Conclusion
This paper provides interesting insights into why students choose to undertake
tertiary education study at private higher education institutions. The feedback,
primarily gathered from students revealed a number of factors many of which were
directly related to the quality of the student experience. Factors such as the potential
for greater engagements with peers and the teaching staff, the currency and industry
specific knowledge of the teaching staff, the opportunity to undertake practical
industry-based experience and to build relationship with the industry and the small
class sizes and potential for dialogue within the class room were cited as key reasons
why students decided to study with private higher education institutions. Such key
factors are not new in the university context but this is the first study that reveals
qualitatively that such factors are drivers to students choosing private higher
education institutions. Additionally, some students acknowledged that the private
higher education was their only study option as they had not met the higher entry
requirements of a university. However, others indicated that they intentionally chose
the private college though they could have accessed university study or had previously
tried university study but found it too isolating and depersonalised.
It is clear from the feedback gathered in this study that private higher education
institutions are a viable, exciting and popular stream within the vocation education
and training and higher education sector. It is a section of the market which is growing.
Most private higher education institutions are still quite small and focus on a few
specialised areas which mean that they can respond quickly to market trends and
changing policies. The fact that many staff are practicing professionals is very
appealing to students as they get to engage in authentic contemporary topics and
issues and draw on current resources and information.

In the past colleagues in the higher education sector have had limited exposure to or
connection with private higher education institutions. This has changed slightly in the
last few years. Some universities are starting to engage private higher education
institutions to deliver pathway courses in which articulate into university courses.
Many universities have also established articulation arrangements with private higher
education institutions whereby the VET diploma and associate degrees are delivered
by the private provider and once completed the students feed into the university degree
and post degree programs.
The study on factors influencing student choice is important in gaining insights on
student expectations of private higher education. The findings of this study in private
higher education institutions are different from previous studies undertaken with
universities in the USA and the UK. For example, this study showed that the factors
influencing student choice to study with private higher education includes:
.
pathway to university education after completing first year diploma;
.
ease of entry with lower entry criteria;
.
small class size and opportunity to interact with teachers and peers;
.
personalised learning environments;
.
flexible study options such as online learning;
.
course design with opportunity to undertake work placement while studying to
gain experience;
.
age group of students in disciplines such as counselling and psychotherapy;
.
teachers are drawn from industry with up-to-date knowledge; and
.
specialised courses for the profession, e.g. clinical myotherapy, naturopathy.
Some of the findings in this study align with the quantitative findings by Shah and
Brown (2009) in a private college who suggest that quality of teachers, quality of
courses, and the reputation of the private college seen as key factors influencing
student choice.
The study on student choice and future need for studies in student experience in
private higher education in Australia is critical for a number of reasons including:
understanding the views of students about private higher education; ways by which
private higher education institutions could enhance student experience; understanding
the role of private higher education in social and economic development; changing
government policy with focus on improving the access and participation of
disadvantaged students in tertiary education; governments initiative to extend public
funding of private higher education using student loan; strengthening the accreditation
and regulation of all higher education institutions with single criteria to ensure public
confidence of all providers; and finally the governments plan to introduce
MyUniversity web site as a mean to ensure transparency by providing publicly
available information on institutional performance.
Across Australia the number of students accessing private higher education is
increasing rapidly and this study reveals a number of specific reasons as to why
students choose to study at private higher education institutions. Many of these
reasons are a result of deliberate decisions by students to choose a course appropriate
to their needs and priorities and not as a course of last resort. While the future for the
private higher education sector looks healthy this study also highlighted the

Factors
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student choice
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importance of listening to the student voice. To ensure that the sector remains robust
and relevant, such institutions are well advised to ensure that they implement and
monitor quality improvement systems and processes to continue to grow the quality of
their courses and offerings.
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Appendix. Discussion questions prepared for the focus group interviews
Factors influencing student choice:
(1) What were some of the contributing factors influencing your choice to study with xxxx
College?
(2) How did you find out about xxxx College?
(3) Has your expectations prior to enrolment met your actual experience?
Student experience
(4) How is xxxx College different from your experience at the university? (question was
only asked to those students who commenced at the University and later joined the
private college).
(5) What are the best aspects of your experience at xxxx College?
(6) What are some areas where improvement is needed?
(7) If you were the CEO of the College, what would you do to improve student experience?

Corresponding author
Mahsood Shah can be contacted at: shah_mahsood@hotmail.com

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