author(s)
Shailendra Kumar Gupta

abstract
The relevance of studying the stated problem is due to the fact that for increasing the efficiency of higher education marketing it is necessary to take into account several factors, namely, factors that impact the choice of a University/Institute and an academic program (course) by students, as well as socio-psychological characteristics of the latter and impact of the program in knowledge level as well as career growth. Systematic research of this problem has not been done by now. The goal of this paper is to give recommendations for the implementation of higher education marketing strategies aimed at potential students. The main method used by us for studying the stated problem was the questioning of total 1150 students of two Universities in Chhattisgarh state, one is Government University named Central university of Bilaspur and second one is private university named Dr. C.V. Raman University with subsequent statistical data processing. The study has been succeeded in determining certain characteristics features of students and main factors that impact the choice of a University/Institute and an academic program (courses) by students and also ranked these factors. The ranking of the factors will help to the education Institutes that they will adopt the same for quality enhancement of their institutions. It refines factors that impact the choice of a University/Institute and an academic program by students, rank their motives for entering a University, reveal factors that influence the total number of students in a University, and determine new academic programs demanded by students. Basing on the obtained results, we propose a model of the implementation of an education marketing strategy should take into account the factors that impact the choice of a University and an academic program by students, as well as socio-psychological characteristics of the latter and impact of the program in knowledge level as well as career growth. The recommendations proposed by us can contribute to increasing the competitiveness of Universities/Institutes among students.