Insights into Lithuanian students’ choice of university and study program in management and economics

The purpose of this study is to determine factors influencing the choice of university and study program in management and economics for first-year students in public and private universities in Lithuania. The quantitative research method – Internet survey – was used to survey first-year management and economics students studying at Lithuanian universities. The survey questionnaire consists of questions relating to the factors of study program selection, university selection, and general questions on respondent and his/her demographic data. A total of 224 properly filled questionnaires were obtained, making the sample representative, with a 6.5 percent sample error and a 95 percent confidence level. The review of the scientific literature revealed that students behave as consumers when choosing a university and a study program. The empirical research revealed that when choosing a study program student’s personal characteristics as well as study related factors, e.g. career possibilities, study prestige, etc., had the biggest influence. When choosing a university, university reputation and city the university is in were ranked highest. University and city infrastructure and social life were ranked lowest. Regarding the stakeholders having an impact on the decision, parents and current students were ranked highest. However, the influence in general was rated rather low which shows that respondents mostly rely on their own opinion. There are several limitations of the study. The questionnaire response rate could be higher. In addition, the majority of respondents represent one university which might have an impact on the final results. Therefore, future surveys could complement the results by proportionally distributing respondents to all the universities. The survey gives an insight to the universities offering study programs in management and economics. The survey reveals which factors admission and marketing departments should emphasize in order to attract students