Influence of Perceived Brand Image on Students’ Choice of Health and Allied Sciences Colleges in Tanzania: A Case of Selected Colleges in Mwanza City

The study investigated the influence of perceived brand image on students' choice of health and allied sciences colleges in Tanzania, focusing on selected colleges in Mwanza City. The study was guided by Brand Equity Theory to examine the influence of brand awareness, perceived quality, and brand association on students’ choice. A quantitative approach and cross-sectional design were used. The study targeted 1,993 undergraduate students, of whom 333 respondents were selected through stratified random sampling. A total of 320 questionnaires were successfully returned and analysed using SPSS version 26. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to analyse quantitative data. The findings showed that perceived brand image had a positive and statistically significant influence on students’ choice of Health and Allied Sciences Colleges. Perceived quality had the strongest positive effect, with β = 0.352 and p = 0.001. Brand awareness had a positive significant effect on students’ choice, with β = 0.286 and p = 0.000. Brand association also had a positive significant effect, with β = 0.271 and p = 0.000. The model explained 62.3% of the variation in students’ choice, as shown by R Square = 0.623. The study concluded that students’ choice of Health and Allied Sciences Colleges was influenced by institutional awareness, perceived quality, and association. The study recommended that Health and Allied Sciences Colleges should strengthen institutional visibility, improve academic and clinical training quality, and build strong positive associations to attract students and strengthen marketing strategies.