Perceived value of higher education

What is it about?

This paper describes an exploratory study on the perceived value of higher education by Chinese students in Macao SAR, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Taipei. Using responses from 316 students, we find that the Sheth–Newman–Gross Theory of Consumption Values explains how students perceive the services offered by higher education institutions.

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Why is it important?

Students have different opinions on the value items, which we group into two functional values (the usefulness of a degree and the experiential aspect), social value, emotional value, epistemic value, and conditional value using factor analysis. A stepwise multiple regression analysis shows that students’ satisfaction depends, to a large extent, on two functional values—the experiential aspect and the usefulness of a degree.