Evaluation Of The Service Quality And Satisfaction In The Turkish Higher Education In Terms Of International Students

Purpose- The purpose of the study is to explore the service quality of Turkish higher education, the satisfaction level of international students and the critical SERVQUAL dimensions in terms of international students’ satisfaction Research Methodology- A questionnaire was designed and applied by using SERVQUAL model to collect data from international students. The survey was conducted with 198 international students from different nationality, sexes and ages. Findings- The results reveal that international students are poorly satisfied in general. They find the service quality of higher education poor. They are at most satisfied in tangible and reliable sense from their universities while the least satisfied area is assurance. The significant SERVQUAL dimensions for satisfaction were reliability, empathy and tangibility. Responsiveness and assurance were not significant. Research limitations- Survey was implemented via internet. Face to face interview might be beter to make sure respondents understand the questions correctly. Practical implications- The number of international mobile students was reached 5 million in 2016 and is estimated that will exceed 7 million by 2020. The expenditures of foreign students is around 30 thousand US dollars annually on average. Economically, 7 million international students will create a $210 billion total market in 2020. The quality of education is the first element considered by foreign students in determining the country and university to study. Therefore, the service quality of higher education and the resultant satisfaction levels of international students must be determined consistently to attract international students. Originality/Value- This study is one of the few studies regarding the service quality and satisfaction especially in the context of international students in the Turkish higher education.