CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS PREFERRED BY FOURTH YEAR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
PUBLISHED IN AD SAPIENTIAM VOLUME IX 2015, COPYRIGHT: ISSN 2012-290X
PAOLO G. HILADO
ABSTRACT
The key to sustainability is to provide services that address the demands of the clientele. The same is true in the academe considering that learners have diversified needs and want to engage themselves in an academic environment that suits them well. As such, it is but a necessity for Higher Education institutions (HEIs) to be informed of these needs or demands so that they remain significant in the society. This study was conducted in order to determine the characteristics of HEIs and program offerings preferred by fourth year high school students of the feeder schools of a selected HEI in Negros Occidental during the academic year 2012 – 2013. The study made use of a descriptive method with a survey research design whereby 1,327 participants provided relevant information during a 3-month school survey. Information from the survey shows that affordability of tuition fees and high standards in education, as recognized by an accrediting organization, are of very high preference among the participants. Preference on HEIs’ characteristics was further analyzed by grouping the participants in accordance to variables such as sex, type of secondary school and its location. In addition to the aforementioned observation, females also have very high preference for HEIs with good board examination performance and those that possess a prestigious image. The same can be observed among those from public secondary schools and those located in the northern parts of Negros Occidental. As to preferred programs, those related to business are the dominant career choice.