FACTORS INFLUENCE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS’ DECISION MAKING TO ENROLL AND SOCIAL MEDIA APPLICATION AS AN EXTERNAL FACTOR

Purpose:  This study conducted to classify factors of fixed Higher Education Institution (HEI) characteristics influenced students' decision making to enroll at private HEI and social media application as an external factor exclusively in Malaysia phenomena. The main focus of this research was to determine the relationship between independent variables (academic programs, tuition fees, location, institution rankings, institution facilities, employment opportunities, social media application) influence dependent variable (decision making); and to determine the major factor that influence students' decision making to enroll at private HEI. Methodology: The underpinning theory applied in this study was Theory Reason Action (TRA) for social media application, while Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) applied for academic programs, tuition fees, location, institution rankings, institution facilities, and employment opportunities. Five hundred (500) questionnaires distributed at selected private HEI around Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Respondent was an undergraduate student semester one the year 2018 only. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Results: Findings indicated result for direct effect revealed decision making were significant in the relationship between tuition fees, location, institution ranking, institution facilities, employment opportunities, and social media application thus hypothesis H2, H3, H4, H5, H6, and H7 accepted. Implications: Therefore, the only academic program was insignificant with decision making thus hypothesis H1 rejected. While the major factor that influences students' decision making to enroll at Private HEI in rank number one was employment opportunities H6 (β = .301; p = .000 < .05). Thus, Results of direct effects indicated there is a relationship between employment opportunities and students’ decision making to enroll at private HEI