A higher education marketing perspective on choice factors and sources of information considered by prospective first-year students in Botswana

The increasing nature of competition in the higher education sector of Botswana means that universities need to craft strategies to be more competitive. The recipe for competitiveness is primarily hinged on the ability of institutions to be cognisant of the factors that influence prospective learners in selecting a university of choice to study. They also critically need to know the sources of information where prospective learners acquire information to redirect their marketing strategies. To achieve these objectives, the purpose of this study was to investigate the factors influencing the choice of university of study as well as their sources of information in influencing choice decision-making. The study followed a qualitative research approach and data was collected using in-depth interviews. Thematic narrative analysis was used to unpack the underlying influences on decision-making. The findings indicate that prospective students get their information from multiple factors. The most influential sources identified are family and friends, career fairs and exhibitions, social media, and to a lesser extent the mass media and promotional materials. The findings also showed that prospective university students’ choice of university is influenced by a variety of factors. These include university location, availability of accommodation, perceptions of university reputation, quality of academic programs, alignment of lifelong interests and desires, and the perception of employability. There are other factors that are less influential as degree of persuasion, funding issues, costs associated with applications as well as government processes and procedures. These findings have potential to influence university marketing strategies and policies in seeking competitiveness and improvement in enrolment numbers.