ABSTRACT

Universities should use marketing strategies efficiently and carefully to sustain their effect in the competition atmosphere and to enlarge their market. The theory here is that, private universities apply marketing strategies to have market share and they affect consumers’ preferences. In this sense, aim of the study is to determine marketing activities of private universities and explain responses of consumers towards these activities. In this study it is tried to shed light on how Turkish students perceive different universities by the use of a particular MDS algorithm known as ALSCAL and a number of complementary methods PROFIT (to attribute meaning MDS dimensions) and PREFMAP (to find the ideal point/vector in the same MDS space). As a result of the study, Bilkent University is the most likely one to be the ideal university for the individuals. This university is also superior specially in location, job opportunities, facilities comparing to other universities. This means that, in order to be the ideal university for people, it is necessary to take such features into consideration.