Keys to managing university reputation from the students' perspective

Area of Science:

• Higher Education Management
• Educational Psychology
• Sociology of Education

Background:

• University reputation is crucial for institutional success, competitiveness, and sustainability.
• International rankings often overlook student perception, a key indicator of educational service quality.
• Understanding student experiences and perceived value is vital for a comprehensive view of university performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the influence of student experiences and perceived value on university reputation in Colombia and Spain.
• To contrast these relationships considering cultural and educational system differences between the two countries.
• To investigate the direct and indirect effects of student experience on university reputation.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative methodology employing a structural equation model.
• Data collected from 385 undergraduate students in Colombia and 333 in Spain.
• Analysis focused on the relationships between student experience, perceived value, and university reputation.

Main Results:

• Student experience directly influences both perceived value and university reputation.
• Perceived value positively impacts university reputation.
• Student experience indirectly affects university reputation through perceived value, with consistent results across both nations.

Conclusions:

• Student satisfaction and the perceived value of education are key drivers of university reputation.
• The findings underscore the importance of incorporating student perspectives into university performance evaluations.
• The study provides consistent evidence across different national contexts, emphasizing the universal role of student-centric factors in shaping institutional standing.