The Impact of Service Quality, Student Satisfaction and University Image on International Student Loyalty in Thai Private University

Abstract

This research aims to develop and validate a causal relationship model among service quality, student satisfaction, university image, and student loyalty of international students in Thai private universities. The questionnaire was distributed and responded by 450 international students in 6 Thai private universities which had most international students. The statistical methods used in the study were descriptive statistic, correlation, path analysis and structural equation modeling. The result of a causal relationship model shows that university image has the most direct effect on student loyalty, then student satisfaction, and service quality is the only factor which has no direct effect on student loyalty. Moreover, service quality shows high direct effect on student satisfaction, in contrast to the direct effect on university image which is not significant. The result also shows that student satisfaction and university image have a reciprocal relationship. While student satisfaction notes high direct effect on university image, university image has minus direct effect on international student satisfaction.