STUDENTS’ EVALUATION OF SERVICE QUALITY IN PRIVATE AND PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN CROATIA: A FOCUS ON ECONOMIC STUDIES

Ivana Jadric ()
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Ivana Jadric: University of Split, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Economic Thought and Practice, 2025, vol. 34, issue 1, 165-187

Abstract: In Croatia, higher education (HE) is split between free public and expensive private institutions. This research aimed to determine if students at private HE institutions perceive quality differently from their peers at public HE institutions studying the same economics programs. It also explored the main quality associations students have during their selection process among both groups. The study, conducted in two phases using qualitative (focus groups) and quantitative (online survey) methods, found that private HE students emphasize individual approaches, while public HE students highlight teaching staff quality. Private HE students perceive higher service quality but also have higher expectations. They are more proactive, express dissatisfaction, and actively seek their rights more than public HE students.

Keywords: public higher education; private higher education; service quality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A23 I20 I23 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.17818/EMIP/2025/8

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