Factors affecting new students' decision to choose construction economics major, Hanoi university of civil engineering (HUCE)

Abstract

Along with economic growth, the Vietnamese education system has also undergone significant changes. The formation of the private sector in higher education has created a new trend, foster competion among universities. Competitive pressure forces public and private universities to seek policies and solutions to attract students. The Construction Economics program at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering is a large and reputation major with high annual enrollment targets. In order to maintain and increase the appeal of the Construction Economics major to learners, identifying the factors influencing new students' decisionmaking in choosing this major at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering is crucial. Through a survey of first- and second-year students in the Construction Economics program at Hanoi University of Civil Engineering on 15 factors influencing their decision to choose this major, two factors- "Admission opportunities" and "Career prospects and future salary" were rated as having the most significant impact on their decision, based on the results analyzed using the relative importance index method. From the findings of this research, the evaluation and ranking of these factors are expected to provide a foundation for Hanoi University of Civil Engineering and the Faculty of Construction Economics and Management to develop more effective policies and solutions to attract students in the future.

Keywords: factors; decision-making; higher education; Construction Economics major; Hanoi University of Civil Engineering; relative important index.