South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 81 Volume and Issues Obtainable at Center for Business Research and Consulting IBMAS, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur Pakistan South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies ISSN: 2710-5318 ; ISSN (E): 2710-5164 Volume 1, No. 2, December 2019 Journal homepage: https://journals.iub.edu.pk/index.php/sabas Factors Affecting of Students' Preference towards Choosing University in South Punjab, Pakistan Syed Muhammad Mohi Ud Din, Government Railway School, Pakistan Muhamamd Shafiq, Faculty of Management Sciences, Foundation University, Pakistan ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT History Revised format: Nov 2019 Available Online: Dec 2019 Keywords Distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, students’ preferences, Pakistan The purpose of the study to determine the factors affecting of Students' preference towards choosing University in South Punjab, Pakistan. The higher education environment in Pakistan has become very determined and universities have to effort for enrolling highly knowledgeable students. The students have become consumerists due to rising fees of higher education institutes. The principal focus of this study was to disclose the factors that students consider dynamic interrelated to their choice of university. Education is also very significant of each and every nation. Due to education all the developed economy are well developed and they have enhanced their educational strategies and attain them properly and development cannot be achievable without the skills and technical labor and it’s enhance the productivity and efficiency of people In Pakistan. In this study regression and correlation & (Baron and Kenny 1996) approach adopted and the sample size is collected from respondent is 278. Finally, this study revealed that distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospects, campus atmosphere have positive significant relationship on willingness to pay and also student preference towards choosing university but course suitability have insignificant impact on willingness to pay and students preference towards choosing university. Numerous issues of the study, dissimilar variations, tests and trials have been left for the upcoming, due to time restrictions and limitations. In future, it needs concerns a in depth analysis of particular mechanisms, new proposals to try diverse approaches, or simply curiosity. © 2019 The authors, under a Creative Commons Attribution Non- Commercial 4.0 international license Corresponding author’s email address: mohiuddindanish1015@gmail.com DOI: https://doi.org/10.52461/sabas.v1i2.437 Introduction Education performs a key responsibility in the progress of the countries as it is one of the basic prerequisites for human growth and to break out from poverty’ and it is obligatory for nationalized growth and a flourishing society. Education is the liability of the administration and should be coped through national resources (Akareem & Hossain, 2016). https://journals.iub.edu.pk/index.php/sabas mailto:mohiuddindanish1015@gmail.com https://doi.org/10.52461/sabas.v1i2.437 South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 82 In Pakistan Higher education system has develop progressively and significant influence on Pakistan encouraging intent of becoming entirely advanced country and guided to a twofold-ness of higher education system in Pakistan and HE sector is divided into private and public institute (Khan, 2010). The HE sector has managed to enhance in the figure of private HE institute in country. The growth of private higher education institute, with globally institute, has led these higher education institute to challenge to attract local and global students. The real wealth of a nation is the people and this wealth increase when its people gain more knowledge and become more self-dependent. Education performs a key role not only in the growth of the countries but also expansion fairness in individual life. Education is also very significant of each and every nation. Due to education all the developed economy are well developed and they have enhanced their educational strategies and attain them properly and Development cannot be achievable without the skills and technical labor and its enhance the productivity and efficiency of people (Hua et al., 2014). So, Education is equaled significant for the development of third world country Pakistan also. Education has the power to empower people in four way and Firstly, education enhances an individual’s choices in life; secondly, it is an instrument of economic expansion; thirdly, it influences the balance of power in society and finally, the change in power distribution has many indirect positive effects (Al-Ali Mustafa et al., 2018). Education, thus, yields important common and financial benefits to the individual and the society as entire. Universities world-wide have been facing enhancing rivalry for pupils due to reduced administration expenditure on higher education (HE) and at global level of the HE market. Further, these factors may vary by country, and even different sectors of areas. So, this research tries to found these factors in a Pakistani context, using different factors. The current research is mainly to identify the determination of student’s choice about university selection. A student preference to choose a university is not an easy task and the decision or choice provides the base of individual future as well as nation future. It is a two-way process, creation a choice requires choosing one of the alternates and providing up the other changes and it is not informal assumed to be (Taylor, 2019). This choice is much more-tricky when it is make in early ages. The outcome of this choice make is also a determiner of the educational success. Most of youthful people for the choice of go into university is the most valuable decision that will influence their own lives (Setiyono, 2014). This choice significant in terms of creating and determining person’s life for the upcoming years and when the point that there are a lot of issues affective such an significant outcome and a choice is also chosen into deliberation, the situation becomes more problematic (Garwe, 2018). In our country the enhancement in academies, the idea of attainment the fact that was comprehensive via the well-established academies and the manifestation of the universities that were created future and a short time required the universities to compete with each other (Akareem & Hossain, 2016). The significant causes it is main to be chosen through the students with the anticipated abilities besides the problematic satisfying the ability for the institute. To offer this, the academies are making an exertion to reorganize their sketch and procedures and be more progressive. Pakistan nowadays there are different prospects for higher secondary school pupils to move university and further, pupils to select their preferences from a huge number of universities and colleges, whether they are private or public, or foreign HE institute (Rudhumbu et al., 2017). The fact observed most in this respects is parent’s readiness to pay university expenses and take this readiness in sense of investment in form of his/her teen-agers job return and sociologists and South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 83 economists have been generally anxious with parent investment in children, that investment has hardly been studied directly (Steelman & Powell, 1991). As a consequence, higher education institutes have become more shy in engaging more pupils and retentive them than ever formerly. Faced with increasing modest ecosystem, higher education institutes have augmented rivalry for engaging and retentive pupils by offering high attribute facilities as a solution to rivalry in this tempestuous market. Therefore, a survey conducted to measuring antecedent of student preference for the choice of Universities of Pakistan. Problem Statement The graduating pupils in every year are faced with the difficulty of to decide on future career directions. For this purpose, parents are more curious and trying to avail best option ever before they used (They take gaudiness from those people who are professional and attached with education sector. They have keen observation on current and future trend. They wish their children get that education that they wish to get but due to some blackness or shortage they can’t get). Basically this choice process is between student and their parents and success of choice on a common point and their effects is a long way journey. Those students who are in view of joining a university, the selection process possibly think high precedence. Students his/her family wish, dreams have also very composite part for the selection of university (Garwe, 2018). The institute significant role for the future alarms of the students. It’s the institute that defines the interest and priorities in the upcoming life of the student. It is also important to know that while male and female students have equal opportunities to choose an institute or not. Previous researches indicated different causes may influence the choice of students regarding their Higher-Education. The current research intended to scrutinize the preferences of the students though selecting an institution for their higher education. Besides these preferences the present study also aimed to determine the role of diverse factors like distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospect, campus atmosphere and course suitability. However, the academia selection way allows students to examine numerous alternatives. Identifying issues that have been deliberated by students was the aim of this research. Research Gaps Recent studies have shown that higher education system is increasingly focused on the economy. Education marketing is an emerging sector in Pakistan and there is not enough research to encourage research in that field. In the 1980s there developed in the United States and the United Kingdom the idea of taking educational institutions. Research into the positioning, hiring and promotion of educational establishments is inadequate. (Ahmad et al., 2013). Most of the research have been conducting on Student Preference towards choosing university but not dynamic way. In this study we have taken different variables from different studies and compile them like distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospect, campus atmosphere, Course suitability and mediating variable willingness to pay impact on Student preference towards choosing university. This paper aims to understand the gap so that we know how students prefer to choose universities that implement the department of higher education as compared to those that don't. Objectives of the Study: The Objectives of the present study are divided into two categories, main objectives and sub objectives with respect to their importance; Main Objectives: Main objectives of the current study is to determine the factors affecting students’ choice of university in South Punjab, Pakistan. Sub-Objectives: Sub-objectives of the study are given below; South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 84 RO1: To scrutinize the impact of Distance from home on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO2: To scrutinize the impact of academic reputation on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO3: To scrutinize the impact of quality of teaching on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO4: To scrutinize the impact of job prospect on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO5: To scrutinize the impact of campus atmosphere on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO6: To scrutinize the impact of course suitability effect on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. RO7: To scrutinize how willingness to pay the mediate effect the relationship between of distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospect, campus atmosphere, course suitability on student choice of University in South Punjab, Pakistan. Research Questions: Main Research Question: Main question of the current study Does factors affecting students’ choice of university in South Punjab, Pakistan? Sub-Research Questions: RQ1: Do Distance from home have influence on choice of institutions? RQ2: Do academic reputation have influence on choice of institutions? RQ3: Do quality of teaching have influence on choice of institutions? RQ4: Do job prospect have influence on choice of institutions? RQ5: Do campus atmosphere have influence on choice of institutions? RQ6: Do course suitability have influence on choice of institutions? RQ7. Does willingness to pay mediates the relationship between Distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospect, campus atmosphere, course suitability on student’s choice towards University. Scope of the Study: The study is about the prospects student’s (in South Punjab, Pakistan) preferences and their behavior of willingness to pay to choice educational institute, so it is helpful for the pupils to choice of institute for higher education or also for stakeholder like parents of pupils, organizational owners in private sector, and HEC will be the significant of this research. The HEC can make their polices on the basis of the information available in this study. Further, this study explains the causes that influence student intent to study in advanced education. The study revealed that will help pupils and institute glowing upcoming planning and executive. Literature Review Distance from Home: Students generally consider the locality, exactly the move away from home of academia and they desire to join while restricting fuzz the ones. Although this fact, there is very few study to scrutinizing actual pupil behavior. There is very less published study on the theme of the distance pupil’s go to institution like the Higher Education Research Institute (Bright & Pryor, 2011) published a paper that showed that former generation pupils, pupils whose family have not any university experience, and other possible to remain nearby to house. While 50% of earliest generation pupils joined universities inside 50 miles of their household, only 36% of their non- earliest generation friends stayed that nearby. The statistics based on a national survey of college freshman for the class of 2005. The same as before study by Higher Education Research Institute (Pryor et al., 2007) offered leaning data above the previous 40 years on numerous university conclusions, as well as the move away pupils’ travel for university. They discovered that in 1969, 35.9% of pupils remained inside 50 miles of their house. In 2006, this percentage determined approximately the similar, with 35.3% South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 85 of pupils waiting within 50 miles of home-based. The analysis also revealed that distance moved by gender. In 1969, 34.4% of males remained within 50 miles as associated to 37.9 percent of females. In 2006, the percentage of males staying that close stayed roughly the same, 34.6 percent, though the number dropped slightly for women, to 35.6%. Besides the HERI report disaggregating conclusions by gender, very inadequately is recognized about the effect of student points on distance voyaged to join university (Far et al., 2009). H1: Distance from home have a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Academic Reputation: The Origin status is the civic incentive provided by De Tocqueville in the 19th century and public demand in conferences. Cases that have contributed to the prestige of higher education institutions, with entrance choices, graduate accomplishments, and quality of their faculties, size and expenditure of their works, number of collections of libraries, colleague rankings, and managing quality have been identified today by researchers. Academic work also entails exams and/or university divisions in the field of academic standing. (Garand & Graddy, 1999). H2: Academic Reputation has a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Quality of Teaching: In the US above the last 50 years, pupil estimates instructors have developed habitual. In most American university class-rooms nearby or at the end of all time, teaching staff, managers, or their subordinates pass out and gather standardized devices which ask pupils to estimate their lecturers on a change of aspects, such as ability, effectiveness, easiness, timeliness, and a fill of other items. The retorts are carefully collected, secure, stored, observed and explained to the faculty concerned, as well as to their supervisors and numerous academia bodies. The data for each faculty are associated to those together from their equals within their departments and plans as well as via the complete academia faculty. The results revealed that faculty concerned to their supervisors, and rarely to the public. This large-scale inventorying of pupil replies is defended mostly on two bases: first, to estimate lecturer performing as origin for decisions on retentive, reward, and upgrade; and, second, to improve faculty colleague’s newness areas of power and flaw in their education and thereupon resolve those flaws recognized though making on the powers and the luxurious or time wasting practice continues in the face of two well-known difficulties (Opdecam et al., 2014). First, there is a suggestion to encouragement the sense that pupils are capable to estimate valuable education. This study reliable: pupils try that faculty whom they “like” as valuable and those whom they “dislike” as abortive lecturers. That from is the pupil viewpoint, and assessments are mainly status level. A latest popular try into the “how much do you like your lecturer” sweeps-takes is rate my professors.com, which covers the further valuation item of “how hot” rated instructor’s rank. (Garand & Graddy, 1999) (Wubbels & Brekelmans, 2005). Second, there is a suggestion that faculty member’s general create methodical adopt of these statistics to rise their educating skills or to better their flaws. To overall methods of the value of a given university teacher, pupil reviews have also been used to evaluate the value of teaching methods and inventions in a class of environment like involve studies stated for lecturer, music, science, and several others (Demiroren et al., 2008). H3: Quality of Teaching has a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 86 Job Prospect: A landing well job is the biggest factor for the candidates to go abroad and it is confirmed in a current report by higher education data professionals QS also, as the numbers of pupils studying foreign is regularly increasing up and many of them need to continue to be in the same area for well employment and good experience. Their teaching also supports them in their quest for the jobs. In the 2015 Times Higher Education employability ranks, exhibits that the topmost 50 places were led by universities in just a little of countries. The US and UK acquired greatest of the top acnes, and the only other countries to have a significant existence in the list take place France, Germany, Australia, China and Canada. Several studies have scrutinized the awareness pupils studying in Universities hold about their employability and anything is needed of them in the labor market by means of they make to link the world of exertion. Recognized interaction, proficiency, Information Technology and ‘education how to learn’ as foremost skills requirement by organizations in any sector, whereas CBI survey (2011) revealed that graduates now must proficiencies in; Self-management, team- work, problem-solving, communication, application of Information Technology, application of skill, business and consumer awareness held by a positive attitude are acute for the employability of academia graduates. On the other hand, found that morality, honesty and reliability were very appreciated by employers at the same time as CIHE survey (2008) found a positive attitude as significant essential employers look for in defining the employability of graduates. Though, the CBI (2011) indicates that, just about half (49%) of pupils are great about the skills employers must, this was in conventionality with Overachievers, (2012) who reiterated pupil’s over-all absence of knowledge of the abilities need of them by the labor market. Another study by The British Chamber of Commerce (2011) revealed that only a third of micro-businesses surveyed having self-assured that graduates would have the right expertise. In a well-defined gap, UKCES (2011) survey discovered that most (87%) of organizations thought that graduates were enormously ready to meet the skills requisite of the labor market, which were not any diverse from the HECSU (2012) survey which stated that 80% of pupils surveyed were self-assured they had the skills administrations need. H4: Job Prospects has a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Course Selection: What need to be considering as choosing an Academia Course? When you have determined what theme you need to study at university, the next point to do is choose what academia is present that course. Now, make a list of points to emphasis, when you funnel your selections to a particular plan to build the difficult task somewhat stress-free. Teaching Methods: You did not recognize about all lectures of university also being sat in a lecture theatre with the sum of your course pay attention to a range of researchers examining areas of research in extent, there are several other methods of teaching and education. For instance Workshops: In workshops similar amount of persons as in conference (10-15), but further collaborating and pragmatic in nature. Rather than concentrating on matters elevated from course book and lectures, classes are dynamically attractive, requiring pupils to complete assignments and group activities. If you gain knowledge of best by doing, workshops will be an efficient means of impressing info into your mind. Tutorials: This is everywhere; number of pupils is in groups of 4-6 meet with their individual instructor to experience a more intimate knowledge experience. From examining themes directly connected to exact elements, to anticipating academia life and smoothing over any questions, given South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 87 material cover all aspect of the academia knowledge. Lectures are outstanding for help you interested in university life. Contact Hours: About courses, such as knowledge, have massive volumes of contact hours. Less contact hours give you the self-determination to select what you would like to education. Asleeping your way through your gradation will not be valuable for any amount of time. Assessments: Assessments mean an infinite number of exams. If exams emphasize you out, it is perhaps best alternative an essay heavy based program. By now you will have figured out where your powers and flaws lie (Heri; Cirp, 2008). H5: Campus Atmosphere has a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Campus Atmosphere: The Stress recovery theory from Ulrich (SRT) and focus attention restoration theory (ART) from Kaplan typically represent the work on ecological choice and renewal. SRT is psycho-evolutionary in its vision and recommends contact with the world and begins an immediate, expressive reaction (affect). This expressive reaction has consequences that protect well-being and survival, or habits. For example, the early impact reaction (fear) will encourage avoidance when contemplating the bear on a journey into nature. In certain other cases, emotional reactions are due to non-engagement adaptive goals. These emotional responses can persuade alterations in physical and psychological states for stressed persons, and keep emotional resources in best state for unstressed persons. According to SRT, positive affective responses to ecosystems are more likely after an ecosystem includes moderate to high intricacy, physical properties that found a focal point, moderate to high levels of complexity, an even ground service, a bent line of site, and while the ecosystem is observed as safe, clear, and recognizable. H6: Course Suitability has a significant impact on the student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Willingness to Pay: The WTP way was basic applied in the health sector in the famous study of WTP to evade heart attacks by Acton (1973). In customary welfare economics, determined WTP signifies the hypothetically right measure of ‘power of preference’ for, or worth of, goods. The Pupils’ WTP for seven course traits, with cost and three others related to the kinds of online developments (web-based learning guide, electronic class notes, and pod players of the lecture videos). From an economic view, persons make investment decisions in postsecondary education on the basis of variables such as the expected budgets, the predictable profits, and the value of educational selections. So, financial traits of educational organizations (e.g., tuition, financial aid, housing, and cost of commuting) are usually involved. Many educations of postsecondary participation and academia select have been directed employing numerous or all of these variables. H7: Willingness to pay mediates the positive/Negative relationship between Distance from home, Academic Reputation, Quality of Teaching Job Prospects Campus Atmosphere Course Suitability and student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Student Preferences: A group of youngest people, the choice of go into university is the very significant decision that will influence their individual lives. This decision is significant in names of building and defining individual’s life for the next years (Green & Celkan, 2014). A lot of factors influencing such significant assessment and a select are also taken into matter; the condition turns into more problematic. Today’s pupils can be leader’s tomorrow’s and leaders in all extent of the people, who control several politics and take decisions can assume and modification our world (Zhou, 2014). The character of institute education and knowledge in the students’ befitting tomorrow’s leaders and confirming their stability of societal growth can for no reason is South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 88 disregarded. For, academia learning and feel makes it easier for the persons to be elevated as well- informed, accountable, and brilliant peoples in individual terms. Academia education in terms of social and knowledge affects the program and regeneration of knowledge, thoughts, abilities, and manners patterns possible. From the perception of sustaining continuous growth and change, academia education and knowledge can re-shape and support the activities and the level of awareness of the academia pupils and sets them as decent instances for the society (Zhou, 2012). There are many of issues that pupils might consider while defining their preferences for a particular academia, consist of, ✓ The nature of program that they aim to do like business, law etc. ✓ The university status of the organization (very good, sound, poor) ✓ The university environment ✓ The excellence of education staff ✓ The class of university (ancient or up-to-date, outdated or technological) They study also about personal influences like ✓ Distance from household ✓ The academia their friends desire to attend ✓ What their family thinks about both academia (good or poor respect) H8: There is positive and Negative relationship between Distance from home, Academic Reputation, Quality of Teaching Job Prospects Campus Atmosphere Course Suitability and student preferences for the choice of Universities of South Punjab, Pakistan Conceptual Framework Research Methodology Research Approach: This study in quantitative in nature and deductive approach have been adopted. Research Design: This research thesis is explanatory because it is investigated after identification of problem and it gives the causal relationship between independent (IV) and dependent variables (DV). Sampling method and Sample Size: In this research sample size would be 278 students of different Universities within the boundary of South Punjab, Pakistan and convenience sampling have been adopted. Independent Variables Mediating Variables Dependent Variables Distance from Home Job Prospects Academic Reputation Quality of Teaching Campus Atmosphere Course Suitability Willingness to Pay Students’ Preference towards Choosing University South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 89 Survey Instruments: The close ended questionnaire was developed a given out to the relevant population and the questions on five-point Likert scale have been used. Statistical Test and Tool: In this research study statistical test have being adopted Reliability, Normality, Correlation and Regression and mediation analysis by using the data for this research descriptive inferential statistics and SPSS 20 are used. Dana Analysis and Interpretation Reliability Analysis: Reliability analysis refers to measure the consistency of all the items appearing in the instrument. This consistency calculated through model-Cronbach’s alpha value. When items of measuring scale relate to each other the phenomena are said to reliability. The value of Cronbach's Alpha ranging from 0.8 to 0.7 is normally preferred and acceptable Value is equal to 0.5. (nunnally, 1994). Table 1 Reliability Statistics Cronbach's Alpha N of Items .795 8 In the above-mentioned table, Cronbach's Alpha value is equal to 0.795. According to above mentioned criteria it is considered good value and assures that internal consistency of all the items in questionnaire is acceptable. Normality Analysis: A normality test is a phenomenon that assures sample taken for collecting data lies under standard normal distribution. In this analysis shapiro-wilki test is applied to measure the normality of instrument (garson, 2012). The test is applied check the normality of large sample. It is also called goodness of fit when the data is interval or near to interval. Table 2 In the above mentioned table the significant value of K-S test all the variables are less than 0.05 and its mean that distribution is supposed to be normal. Independent variables predicting the Dependent variables (Baron and Kenny Approach 1996) Regression Analysis: It is a statistical tool that is used to measure the relationship between two variables. It explains the relationship between independent variable and dependent variable. This Tests of Normality Kolmogorov-Smirnova Shapiro-Wilk Statistic df Sig. Statistic df Sig. Distance from Home .257 200 .000 .821 200 .000 Academic Reputation .502 200 .000 .376 200 .000 Quality of Teaching .249 200 .000 .846 200 .000 Job Prospect .167 200 .000 .938 200 .000 Campus Atmosphere .261 200 .000 .877 200 .000 Course suitability .146 200 .000 .935 200 .000 Willingness To Pay .223 200 .000 .894 200 .000 Student Preferences .244 200 .000 .802 200 .000 a. Lilliefors Significance Correction South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 90 technique specifically measures that how much change in independent variable is accounted by independent variable. According to researcher various diversity attributes effect of team performance can be analyzed through regression analysis. So the concerned research will show application of regression analysis on IV and DV model (Wicker, 2016). Table 3 Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate Durbin-Watson 1 .561a .314 .293 1.04321 .964 a. Predictors: (Constant), Course suitability, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching, Academic Reputation, Campus Atmosphere, Distance From Home b. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences Table 4 R measures the correlation between observed and dependent variables. It is the square root of R square (Bruin, 2006). R Square(R^2) is also called co-efficient of determination. It is a proportion of amount of the variability in one variable can be explained by variation in the other. It is key output of regression analysis. It gives information about proportion of variation (Frost, 2019). R square shows the variance difference between dependent and independent variable which is 0.314. It indicates a moderate variance exists between IV and DV. The value of R^2 always in the range of 0 and 1. Analysis of variance indicates p value = 0.000 which can be said that model is fine. The adjusted R^2 measures adjusted for degree of freedom. In the above table, adjusted R^2 value is .293 which is significant in this data. It shows that the Course suitability, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching, Academic Reputation, Campus Atmosphere, Distance from Home explained 29.3% variation in student preference towards university. Table 5 ANOVAa Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression 96.341 6 16.057 14.754 .000b Residual 210.039 193 1.088 Total 306.380 199 a. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences b. Predictors: (Constant), Course suitability, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching, Academic Reputation, Campus Atmosphere, Distance From Home Coefficients Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. Correlations Collinearity Statistics B Std. Error Beta Zero- order Partia l Part Tolerance VIF 1 (Constant) 4.099 2.591 1.582 .115 Distance From Home -.021 .067 -.021 -.315 .000 .008 -.023 - .019 .783 1.278 Academic Reputation .151 .085 .111 1.778 .002 .124 .127 .106 .918 1.090 South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 91 In the above table showed that VIF value is 1 and greater than its mean that in this research study no issue of multicollinearity. Above table also showed that distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, job prospect have significant impact on Students preference towards choosing University and further revealed that Course suitability have insignificant impact on student preference towards choosing university Independent variable predicting the Mediator (Baron and Kenny Approach 1996) Regression Analysis Table 6 Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate Durbin-Watson 1 .646a .417 .404 1.46260 1.852 a. Predictors: (Constant), Course suitability, Academic Reputation, Distance From Home, Campus Atmosphere, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching b. Dependent Variable: Willingness To Pay Table 7 Quality of Teaching -.216 .090 -.153 -2.399 .000 -.266 -.170 - .143 .870 1.150 Job Prospect .282 .057 .322 4.940 .0003 .264 .335 .294 .834 1.200 Campus Atmosphere .439 .073 .399 6.022 .000 .430 .398 .359 .810 1.235 Course suitability .026 .051 .034 .507 .613 .100 .036 .030 .799 1.252 a. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 92 Table 8 ANOVAa Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression 406.232 6 67.705 31.650 .000b Residual 566.886 265 2.139 Total 973.118 271 a. Dependent Variable: Willingness To Pay b. Predictors: (Constant), Course suitability, Academic Reputation, Distance From Home, Campus Atmosphere, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching R square shows the variance difference between dependent and independent variable which is 0.417. It indicates a moderate variance exists between IV and Mediating. The value of R^2 always in the range of 0 and 1. Analysis of variance indicates p value = 0.000 which can be said that model is fine. In the above table, adjusted R^2 value is .404 which is significant in this data. It shows that the Course suitability, Job Prospect, Quality of Teaching, Academic Reputation, Campus Atmosphere, Distance from Home explained 40.4% variation in willingness to pay. Distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, campus atmosphere, and job prospects has a positive strong significant impact on willingness to pay of student’s preference towards choosing of university, and P value less than 0.05. The regression coefficient table exhibits that the P < 0.05. Hence, hypothesis (H7) is accepted and above results reveal that course suitability has insignificant roughly contributes 3.4 % to student’s preference towards choosing university. Mediator variable predicting the dependent variable (Baron and Kenny Approach, 1996) Regression analysis Table 9 Model Summary Model R R Square Adjusted R Square Std. Error of the Estimate Durbin-Watson Coefficientsa Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. Correlations Collinearity Statistics B Std. Error Beta Zero- order Partial Part Tolera nce VIF 1 (Constant) 2.80 2 .677 4.137 .000 Distance From Home - .071 .034 -.191 -2.047 .000 .445 -.125 - .096 .253 3.957 Academic Reputation .136 .045 .150 3.053 .002 .294 .184 .143 .905 1.106 Quality of Teaching .177 .051 .321 3.462 .001 .536 .208 .162 .255 3.922 Job Prospect .164 .039 .319 4.203 .000 .556 .250 .197 .383 2.613 Campus Atmospher e .168 .057 .225 2.952 .003 .549 .178 .138 .378 2.649 Course suitability - .025 .052 -.034 -.484 .629 .435 -.030 - .023 .451 2.218 a. Dependent Variable: Willingness To Pay South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 93 1 .109a .012 .007 1.23650 .691 a. Predictors: (Constant), Willingness To Pay b. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences Table 10 ANOVAa Model Sum of Squares Df Mean Square F Sig. 1 Regression 3.651 1 3.651 2.388 .000b Residual 302.729 198 1.529 Total 306.380 199 a. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences b. Predictors: (Constant), Willingness To Pay R square shows the variance difference between dependent and independent variable which is 0.012. It indicates a moderate variance exists between Mediating and DV. The value of R^2 always in the range of 0 and 1. Analysis of variance indicates p value = 0.000 which can be said that model is fine. The adjusted R^2 measures adjusted for degree of freedom. In the above table, adjusted R^2 value is .007 which is significant in this data. It shows that the willingness to pay explained 7% variation in student preference towards choosing university. Table 11 Willingness to pay a positive strong but significant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university, and P value less than 0.05. The regression coefficient table exhibits that the P < 0.05. Hence, hypothesis (H8) is accepted and above results reveal that willingness to pay contributes 10.9 % to students preference towards choosing university. Coefficientsa Model Unstandar dized Coefficient s Standardi zed Coefficie nts t Si g. Correlations Collinearity Statistics B Std . Err or Beta Zero - orde r Part ial Par t Tolera nce VI F 1 (Consta nt) 11. 758 .86 6 13. 571 .0 00 Willing ness To Pay .12 3 .08 0 .109 1.5 45 .0 04 .109 .10 9 .10 9 1.000 1.0 00 a. Dependent Variable: Student Preferences South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 94 Correlation Analysis: This test helps to determine the degree of relations between different research variables. It speaks of the intensity and nature of the relationship (positive or negative). The values used to verify the relationship vary from -1 to +1 indicating whether the relationship is positive or negative. Table 12 Correlations Distanc e From Home Acade mic Reput ation Quali ty of Teac hing Job Prosp ect Campu s Atmos phere Course suitabil ity Willingn ess To Pay Studen t Prefere nces Distan ce. From Home Pearson Correlati on 1 .101 .831* * .734** .615** .570** .425** .008 Sig. (2- tailed) .093 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .907 N 278 276 277 276 275 277 276 200 Acade mic Reputa tion Pearson Correlati on .101 1 .147* .173** .296** .213** .294** .124 Sig. (2- tailed) .093 .014 .004 .000 .000 .000 .080 N 276 276 276 275 274 276 275 200 Qualit y of Teachi ng Pearson Correlati on .831** .147* 1 .685** .645** .593** .515** -.266** Sig. (2- tailed) .000 .014 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 277 276 277 276 275 277 276 200 Job Prospe ct Pearson Correlati on .734** .173** .685* * 1 .652** .590** .546** .264** Sig. (2- tailed) .000 .004 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 276 275 276 276 274 276 275 200 Campu s Atmos phere Pearson Correlati on .615** .296** .645* * .652** 1 .707** .538** .430** Sig. (2- tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 N 275 274 275 274 275 275 274 200 Course suitabil ity Pearson Correlati on .570** .213** .593* * .590** .707** 1 .432** .100 Sig. (2- tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .159 N 277 276 277 276 275 277 276 200 Willin gness To Pay Pearson Correlati on .425** .294** .515* * .546** .538** .432** 1 .109 Sig. (2- tailed) .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .000 .124 N 276 275 276 275 274 276 276 200 Studen t Prefere nces Pearson Correlati on .008 .124 - .266* * .264** .430** .100 .109 1 Sig. (2- tailed) .907 .080 .000 .000 .000 .159 .124 N 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 200 South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 95 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). *. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2-tailed). The above table explains that strong positive significant relationship is present between distance form home and willingness to pay with r= 0.425. The distance from home have significant but positive strong week relationship on student preference towards choosing university. With r= 0.008. The findings also reveal that there is a positively significant but week relationship of academic reputation and willingness to pay with r= .294. The academic reputation have significant but positive strong week relationship on student preference towards choosing university. With r= 0.008. The findings also reveal that there is a positively significant but moderate relationship of quality of teaching and willingness to pay with r= .515. The quality of teaching have significant but negatively week relationship on student preference towards choosing university with r= -0.266. The above table also reveal that there is a positively significant but moderate relationship of job prospects and willingness to pay with r= .546 and also the job prospects have significant but positively week relationship on student preference towards choosing university with r= 0.264. The above table also reveal that there is a positively significant but moderate relationship of Campus Atmosphere and willingness to pay with r= .538 and also the Campus Atmosphere have significant but positive strong relationship on student preference towards choosing university with r= 0.430. The above table also reveal that there is a positively significant but moderate relationship of Course suitability and willingness to pay with r=.432 and also the Course suitability have significant but positive strong week relationship on student preference towards choosing university with r= 0.100. The table also reveal that there is a positively significant but moderate relationship of willingness to pay and distance from home, quality of teaching, job prospect, campus atmosphere, and course suitability and also the willingness to pay have significant but positive strong week relationship on academic reputation and also on student preference towards choosing university with r= 0.124. Discussion and Conclusion Discussion of the study starts with answering the question that was stated as the key inquiry to be addressed is that the first hypothesis is distance from home has a positive strong significant impact on student’s preference towards university. Hence, first hypothesis is accepted. The second hypothesis academic reputation has a positive strong significant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, second hypothesis is accepted. The third hypothesis is quality of teaching has a positive strong significant impact on students preference towards choosing of university. So, third hypothesis is accepted. The fourth hypothesis job prospect has a positive strong significant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, fourth hypothesis is accepted. The fifth hypothesis is campus atmosphere has a positive strong significant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, fifth hypothesis is accepted. The sixth hypothesis is Course suitability has a positive strong insignificant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, sixth hypothesis is rejected. The seventh hypothesis is distance from home, academic reputation, quality of teaching, campus atmosphere, job prospects, has a positive strong significant impact on willingness to pay on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, hypothesis seventh is accepted, while course suitability has a positive strong but insignificant impact on willingness to pay of student’s preference towards choosing of university. The eight hypothesis willingness to pay a positive strong but significant impact on student’s preference towards choosing of university. Hence, hypothesis eight is accepted. Results indicate that the most important determinants of university preference were distance from home, academic reputation, job prospects, campus facility, quality of teaching and willingness to South Asian Review of Business and Administrative Studies Vol. 1, No. 2, Dec 2019 96 pay which has significance on students preferences towards choosing university and programs and others like course suitability, insignificant impact on student’s preference towards choosing universities. Future Research Due to time constraints and restrictions, several parameters of the research, numerous modifications, tests and experiments have been left for the future. In the future, a detailed review of current processes, innovative initiatives to test alternative approaches, or even interest, would need to be discussed. Number of questions can be increased in questionnaire to improve and get more information and know about the understanding of students. In order to improve the standard of education, we have to explore and change the traditional education system in order to expand the willingness of students to know more and more. This study did not examine students' decision-making capabilities, offering an area for future studies. Further studies in other over-all areas of Pakistan could be relevant for the knowledge gathered from this analysis and conclusions drawn. The thesis is quantitative in nature, thus involving exploratory review to resolve exceptional research problems that have a larger effect on the choice of a university and course by students. Differences between private and public colleges were not discussed in the report. Future studies can explore the gap between public and private universities' student decisions. Managerial Implications It has been so far established that concrete measures by accommodating student voices are required to improve services quality from its present marginalized state to the highest echelon as per students’ satisfaction as well as market demands in higher education sector. Universities must keep on continuously assessing their practices regarding services quality for its improvement and to uplift the professional reputation of the institution. Implications for universities are the study or re-examination of education funding & scholarship policies and the making of required arrangements for student settlement in the field. The position of the department of career development has increased and universities need to improve the job rates of institutionally offered courses. This also has consequences for institutions, regardless of the gender differences found in this report, to remove gender barriers between different classes, offer equal opportunities and take appropriate steps to inspire students to participate in all classes. The marketing resources should be developed based on the desires of students that they consider essential and not in line with the practices of universities that they consider important to students. This condition draws the attention of the Pakistan Higher Education Board, the Government of Pakistan Ministry of Education, the administration of universities to improve the country’s higher education quality & standards. However, relevant causes, not major ones, should be given consideration. Limitation There are some limitations of the research under consideration. The study was only conducted in South Punjab of the country so its results cannot be generalized. 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