COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ASSESSMENT OF MARKETING STRATEGIES AND EDUCATIONAL SERVICES: IMPLICATIONS ON THEIR INTENTION TO STAY

Aims: The study aimed to assess whether marketing strategies and students' educational experiences influence students' intention to stay enrolled in a private institution. It sought to identify effective marketing strategies and determine the impact of positive educational experiences on student retention. Study design: This research employed a descriptive correlational research design. This design allows for the exploration of relationships between variables Methodology: This research used a descriptive correlational research design and survey to gather the data and applied stratified random sampling with 160 respondents. T-test and ANOVA were used to determine the significant difference in the participants’ intention to stay when grouped according to their demographic profile. Pearson R was used to determine if there is significant relationship between the students’ intention to stay and the student’s educational experience, and multiple linear regression was used to determine if the independent variables influence the dependent variables. Results: The study found that participants viewed the institution's marketing strategies (including advertising, events, public relations, direct marketing, and word-of-mouth) and educational experiences (classroom instruction, participation in activities, quality of learning, and academic support) positively. There were significant differences in intention to stay based on participants' sex and enrolled school. Additionally, a positive correlation was observed between intention to stay and educational experiences. Both effective marketing strategies and positive educational experiences were linked to higher intention to stay, highlighting the importance of tailored strategies and student-centered policies. Recommendations include investing in market research, using data analytics for targeted marketing, incorporating student feedback in course design, and promoting student-centered education policies. Conclusion: The study supports Expectancy Theory, showing that students' intention to stay is influenced by their expectations of positive outcomes from their educational experiences. There's a significant, positive relationship between students' intention to stay and their educational experience, suggesting that students value their schooling, which increases their commitment to staying enrolled. The positive impact of identified marketing strategies and educational experiences on intention to stay further confirms the theory's role in shaping student behavior. Factors like education quality and perceived value communicated through marketing efforts influence students' decision to remain enrolled. Additionally, while compensation showed a statistically significant relationship with turnover intention its effect was minor, indicating that better compensation can slightly reduce the intent to leave the organization.